Bangladesh signalled on Sunday 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 Sunday. New Delhi has said it is examining Bangladesh’s requests under its legal procedures.
– Hasina told journalists on August 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”.