Bangladesh Never Ruled Out PM Rahman’s Visit to India, Says Minister
Dhaka says discussions with New Delhi are positive, but no timeline has been set for the proposed high-level visit.
DHAKA, Oct 5: Bangladesh has not ruled out Prime Minister Tarique Rahman travelling to India, with Dhaka and New Delhi holding discussions on arranging the visit within a suitable bilateral framework, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Dhaka, Kobir said continued engagement between the two countries was necessary to manage bilateral relations.
“Bilateral engagement is required to maintain relations with another country,” he said, adding that any proposed visit by Rahman would be bilateral in nature.
The minister acknowledged that Bangladesh and India were facing challenges in their relationship but said Dhaka believed these issues could be addressed through dialogue.
“Nothing gets resolved just over a phone call. We are having discussions, and things are positive,” Kobir said.
Asked if Rahman could travel to India before the end of the year, he avoided giving a specific timeline. He said Dhaka wanted the visit to take place in a conducive atmosphere and under an appropriate bilateral framework.
Kobir said a high-level dialogue between the two sides would take place during such a visit, but official-level discussions would first be required to establish the right conditions.
The state minister also praised Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi for his work and expressed hope that New Delhi would take a receptive approach to his assessment of developments in Bangladesh.
The comments come as the two neighbouring countries seek to stabilise relations following the removal of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 after a youth-led agitation. Hasina subsequently left Bangladesh and travelled to India.
Rahman had been invited by India to attend the BRICS Summit last month but did not accept the invitation. Dhaka had earlier maintained that Rahman had not been invited in his capacity as Bangladesh’s prime minister and that the invitation was extended to the chair of BIMSTEC.
India had invited Rahman to the summit as chairman of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). A separate bilateral invitation for Rahman had also been extended in February.
Hasina’s continued stay in India remains a major point of contention between Dhaka and New Delhi. Bangladesh has sought her extradition, while India has said the request is being examined under applicable laws and established legal procedures.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry had said in August that the environment for Rahman’s proposed India trip had been adversely affected by Hasina’s virtual press interaction from New Delhi that month.
India has said it had no involvement in the media event related to Hasina and does not endorse statements made during the forum concerning the Bangladesh government.
