Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to India has not yet been finalised, with the timing dependent on his “schedule” and the “progress” of ongoing bilateral discussions.“The government is positive about visits to all countries. But it will depend on the PM’s schedule and on how far discussions between the two countries progress,” state minister for foreign affairs Shama Obaed Islam said.“The government is busy, and so is the prime minister. If everything fits together, of course there will be a visit to India, a visit to Japan; all the visits will happen,” she said, referring to ongoing domestic programmes and upcoming constitutional activities.In April, Bangladesh foreign minister Khalilur Rahman visited India as part of efforts to mend strained bilateral ties following more than 18 months of heightened diplomatic tensions.Bangladesh has also sought the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday that India has extended two separate invitations to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman — one for a bilateral visit and another to attend the outreach session of the Brics Summit in New Delhi in September.“Brics is still a long way off. A lot can happen in a month,” Shama said.Asked whether Rahman’s visit to India could help ease tensions, Shama said direct communication between the leaders of the two governments could provide an opportunity to discuss and resolve outstanding issues.“Whenever the heads of two countries talk, there is a chance of resolving many problems. That opportunity is there; it remains,” she said.Relations between India and Bangladesh deteriorated sharply after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus came to power following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024.Efforts to stabilise ties gained momentum after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accompanied by foreign secretary Vikram Misri, represented India at Tarique Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony in Dhaka on February 17.Rahman assumed office as prime minister after his party secured a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections.Bangladesh’s current government, led by Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has maintained that Sheikh Hasina must surrender and face the law if she returns to the country.Hasina recently addressed an audio-only virtual press conference from New Delhi, her first public media interaction since fleeing to India on August 5, 2024, amid mass protests.During the virtual press conference, Hasina said she was determined to return to Bangladesh in December to put the country on the “right track” by restoring democracy, despite facing the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence.India distanced itself from Hasina’s media interaction, clarifying that it had neither played a role in organising the event nor endorsed her remarks concerning the Bangladesh government.
