Bangladesh says better environment needed for India visit, amid rift over ousted leader
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Former Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina fled to India in 2024, at the height of the uprising against her government.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Bangladesh wants a more favourable diplomatic environment before agreeing to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to India amid tensions over an ousted leader.
- Bangladesh urges India to respond to its request for the extradition of former leader Sheikh Hasina, sentenced to death in absentia for a crackdown.
- Hasina plans to return to Bangladesh in December, but her public statements and party ban have caused diplomatic strain and been called hurtful by Bangladesh's foreign ministry.
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DHAKA - Bangladesh signalled on Aug 16 it wants a more favourable diplomatic environment before it can agree to a top-level visit to India, as Dhaka presses New Delhi to extradite its ousted former leader and other fugitives.
Relations between the neighbours plummeted in 2024 when Bangladesh’s then prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, fled to India at the height of the uprising against her government.
The countries have been talking for weeks over a possible visit to India by Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in a bid to repair ties.
The visit remained under discussion, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry spokesperson Shahidul Karim said. “A propitious environment needs to be created for the visit,” Karim added.
As part of efforts to resolve outstanding issues, Bangladesh has urged India to respond to its request for the extradition of Hasina, Karim said.
Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia in November 2025 for ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising. She has denied the charges and dismissed them as politically motivated.
“We are awaiting their response,” Karim said.
Last week, Bangladesh’s Rahman also said a “conducive environment” was needed to strengthen ties.
India’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Aug 16. New Delhi has said it is examining Bangladesh’s requests under its legal procedures.
Hasina told journalists on Aug 5 that a ban on her Awami League party should be lifted and that she would return to her country in December.
At the time, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry called the statement an affront to the country’s sovereignty and said the decision to let her make such a public statement had been “deeply hurtful”. REUTERS
