Bangladesh links Tarique Rahman's India visit to Sheikh Hasina extradition

Bangladesh has asked India to create a conducive environment for Tarique Rahman's possible New Delhi visit. The demand places Sheikh Hasina's extradition at the centre of already strained bilateral ties.

In Short

• Dhaka said bilateral ties worsened after Hasina's August media interaction in Delhi
• Bangladesh called Hasina an absconding, convicted genocider, escalating diplomatic rhetoric
• India said Hasina's extradition request is being examined under legal procedures

Bangladesh on Sunday said it wants India to create a "conducive environment" for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's possible visit to New Delhi, amid uncertainty over whether he will travel to India for the BRICS summit on September 12-13, according to local media reports.

The remarks come at a time when ties between the two neighbours are under strain over Bangladesh's request for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition and after her recent media interaction in New Delhi drew sharp reactions from Dhaka. There is also a difference in how the two sides have described the invitation for Rahman's possible India visit.

Rahman met Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi last week and sought Hasina's extradition to Bangladesh. But there was no clarity on whether he would visit New Delhi. "We have made our position clear on this matter. We are of the view that an appropriate environment needs to be created for this visit," Bangladesh foreign ministry spokesperson Shahidul Karim was quoted as saying by the Daily Star newspaper on Sunday.

By an "appropriate environment", Karim was referring to Bangladesh's demand for Hasina's extradition, according to BDnews24. Relations between India and Bangladesh have been strained since Hasina virtually addressed the press on August 5 in New Delhi and said she was determined to return home in December to put the country on the "right track" by restoring democracy, despite the risk of imprisonment or a death sentence.

Bangladesh reacted strongly to that media interaction, saying it had hurt the sentiments of its people and could adversely affect efforts to improve bilateral ties with India. Dhaka described Hasina as an "absconding, convicted genocider". On August 7, India's Ministry of External Affairs said it had no role in the media event concerning Hasina and did not endorse anything said at the forum about the Bangladesh government.

After Rahman's meeting with Trivedi, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said the BRICS invitation was not extended to the prime minister personally, but was "addressed to the chairperson of BIMSTEC". BIMSTEC is a seven-country regional group comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, and Bangladesh currently holds its chairmanship. However, on August 14, the Ministry of External Affairs said: "We have extended an invitation to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for a bilateral visit. We've also extended an invitation to the prime minister of Bangladesh for a visit to India for the outreach session of the BRICS Summit."

Hasina was ousted in August 2024 after violent student-led protests and fled to India. In November 2025, a special tribunal in Bangladesh sentenced her to death in absentia over alleged "crimes against humanity" during the crackdown on protesters. Dhaka has since been seeking her extradition, while New Delhi has said the request is under examination in line with applicable law and established legal procedures. Bangladesh has maintained that Hasina will have to surrender and face the law if she returns, with the extradition issue now central to the debate over Rahman's possible India visit.

With PTI Inputs

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