Propitious environment needs to be created for PM's visit to India: MoFA

Bangladesh on Sunday said a favourable environment needs to be created for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to make a bilateral visit to India, linking the issue to New Delhi’s handling of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

“We are of the view that a propitious environment needs to be created for the visit,” said A.K.M. Shahidul Karim, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He said officials from Bangladesh and India had been in contact for several weeks over the possibility of a bilateral visit by Tarique Rahman.

However, Shahidul said the process had been “vitiated” by ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s open press interaction in New Delhi on August 5.

Hasina, who was convicted of crimes against humanity by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal, has been staying in India since her ouster in a popular uprising in 2024.

“We have made our position clear on this matter,” Karim said while reading out a statement at the Foreign Ministry.

Bangladesh has also urged India to act expeditiously on its request to extradite Hasina and other fugitive criminals and to hand over the accused killers of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi under the bilateral extradition treaty.

“We are awaiting their response,” Karim said.

Bangladesh reiterated that it would continue to pursue its “Bangladesh First” policy to promote friendly bilateral relations with other countries, including its neighbours, based on sovereign equality, national dignity, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs and mutual benefit.

The latest statement comes amid broader efforts to reset Bangladesh-India relations following the political changeover in Bangladesh.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman said on Monday that Bangladesh had received two invitations from India, one from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a bilateral visit and another for the BIMSTEC chairperson to attend the BRICS Summit’s outreach session in New Delhi next month, but the government had yet to take a policy decision on either.

Speaking after Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi’s first courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Khalilur said Dhaka wanted an “enabling environment” to advance ties with India based on sovereign equality, mutual respect, non-interference and national dignity, while also urging New Delhi to expedite Hasina’s extradition.