BANGLADESH: Bangladesh has said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not visit India until New Delhi extradites former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India following the 2024 uprising that ended her government. Dhaka has repeatedly requested her extradition after she was convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death in Bangladesh.
Foreign ministry official AKM Shahidul Karim said Sunday that a “propitious environment” must be created before Rahman visits India. He said Dhaka had urged Indian authorities to expedite the extradition of Hasina and other fugitives. India has said Bangladesh’s request remains under examination.
Dhaka-Delhi Ties Remain Strained
Rahman, who took office in February, has visited Malaysia and China but has not made India his first overseas destination, breaking with a longstanding practice among Bangladeshi leaders. Speculation about a possible visit increased after Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Rahman last week.
Karim said Bangladeshi and Indian officials had been discussing a possible visit in recent weeks but claimed the process had been complicated by Hasina’s public media appearances from India. He said Dhaka would pursue a “Bangladesh First” foreign policy based on sovereignty and non-interference while maintaining mutually beneficial relations with India and other countries.
Hasina, who has remained in India since fleeing Bangladesh, said this month that she intended to return to Bangladesh in December despite the possibility of imprisonment.