PM Tarique Rahman’s trip stalled: What it means for Bangladesh-India ties

What the report says

Bangladesh’s newly sworn-in Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has put off what would have been his first visit to India, underscoring continuing tension between Dhaka and New Delhi. Al Jazeera reports that the trip, which India had invited him to make this month ahead of the BRICS summit, has been stalled amid friction over former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is living in exile in India.

According to the article, Bangladesh says the atmosphere for the visit was damaged after Hasina took part virtually in an August 5 press conference in New Delhi marking two years since her ouster. Dhaka has asked India to extradite Hasina and says officials from both countries have been discussing possible ways forward for several weeks. India, meanwhile, has said little publicly, while Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said bilateral ties should reflect mutual interests.

The piece places the dispute in the wider context of strained relations since the July 2024 student-led uprising that toppled Hasina. It notes several other sources of friction, including border fencing, migration disputes, and accusations from Dhaka that India has interfered in its internal politics by hosting Hasina. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera said Bangladesh is now seeking a more independent foreign policy and broader ties with other powers, including China and Pakistan.

The stalled visit matters because it may test whether the two neighbouring countries can rebuild cooperation after years of close ties under Hasina. The article says both sides still need dialogue, but that the extradition dispute and domestic politics are making progress difficult.