Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is keen to visit India at the earliest but is concerned about take away points and achievements that he will have to produce before his audience back home after a visit of this nature, said a diplomatic source of Bangladesh to The Hindu on Wednesday (September 9, 2026)

The official said that Prime Minister Rahman might have skipped the multilateral BRICS summit for which he was invited by India, but that does not mean that he is trying to avoid an immediate and important neighbour like India which has contributed and sacrificed immensely during Bangladesh’s Liberation War of 1971. PM Rahman is aware that he may have to visit Delhi in a bilateral framework by November or early December, as the Ganga Water Treaty needs to be renewed at the earliest as it will otherwise lapse by the end of December, said the official.

Also Read | The trust deficit in India-Bangladesh ties 

The official said that Mr. Rahman’s visit requires setting of the agenda through intensive meetings between the officials of the two sides that are yet to begin. But Dhaka believes that apart from the Ganga Water Treaty which is a “rolling achievement” as it is expected to be renewed after having survived for 30 years, there is a need to look at other areas where the bilateral relationship is stuck.

“For example, in case of restarting full scale visa facilities, lifting of trade restrictions that were imposed during the interim government in Dhaka, and usage of land ports, and restarting of full scale commercial relationship are some of the areas where there is possibility of setting up some solid goals for achievement,” said the official.

He also pointed out that one area where India could send a positive message is in the field of energy as Bangladesh is suffering from an acute crunch in energy supply. “It will be a confidence building measure if India can assist Bangladesh in dealing with this challenge,” said the official who indicated that Bangladesh is looking at commercial and consular issues separately from hard political issues like Sheikh Hasina’s presence in India.

The official described the Ganga Water Treaty as a success of bilateral diplomacy that was sealed in 1996 during Sheikh Hasina’s first prime ministerial stint, and subsequently functioned in BNP years in 2001-’06. “Failing to renew this treaty before the year end will reflect negatively on the relationship,” said the official noting that delaying this renewal is counterproductive as already there are voices in India like that of JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha who have started opposing renewal of the treaty citing that the treaty does not benefit Bihar. “Prolonging this process will encourage such critics of this treaty to come forward,” he said.

A visit by PM Rahman, he said, has to be designed in such a way that it will kick start the India-Bangladesh relationship to its fullest potential. “Only then Prime Minister can return home with a substantial achievement in hand from Delhi,” said the official who added that PM Rahman is personally committed to holding dialogue with India at the highest level.

The official noted that India’s High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi has been holding rounds of discussions in Dhaka with multiple high-level officials including with the newly elected President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir but the bureaucrats-level talks are necessary to create an agenda for PM Rahman’s visit. “We are open minded about building an agenda for a visit by our Prime Minister. On some issues there can be relaxation of our positions and on certain issues we would prefer the relation to move ahead,” he said.

Also Read | Sheikh Hasina’s media event can hurt ties with India: Bangladesh

The Hindu was told that Bangladesh expects India to be mindful of the fact that Sheikh Hasina’s accusations against Tarique Rahman are not rational as Mr. Rahman is an elected leader. “However, we are satisfied by the fact that a fresh press event featuring members of Sheikh Hasina’s party and her supporters was prevented by India. That is a constructive message from India and we have taken note of it,” said the official.

In this connection, he said that BNP leaders remember that in 2018, India denied entry to Lord Alexander Carlile, legal adviser to Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s then Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Lord Carlile was expected to address a press conference against Sheikh Hasina , who was Prime Minister of Bangladesh at that time.  

Prime Minister Rahman was invited to attend the BRICS summit in Delhi as the head of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) between September 12-13 and bureaucrats-level consultation was ongoing between the two sides over the visit when deposed PM Sheikh Hasina addressed a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club here on August 5.  Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response accused Hasina of committing violent crimes and expressed “outrage” over the event.

UN General Assembly President and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman offered no word on whether Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would attend the BRICS Summit in India later this week, after New Delhi invited him to join an outreach session of the grouping.

India is hosting the annual BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, which is expected to deliberate extensively on a number of pressing global challenges, including the economic consequences of the West Asia crisis.

“I’m not here (in a) national capacity, so please forgive me… I will really ask all of you to ask me questions or approach me in my capacity as the President of the General Assembly. If there are bilateral issues, I’m still the Foreign Minister; I’ll speak to you separately,” Mr. Rahman said at a press briefing in the United Nations on Tuesday (September 8, 2026).

He was responding to a question by PTI on whether the Bangladeshi Prime Minister would participate in the BRICS summit.

Mr. Rahman assumed charge as President of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday (September 8, 2026), taking over the presidency of the world body’s annual session.

His remarks came amid uncertainty over Dhaka’s participation in the BRICS summit, which India is hosting as the grouping’s current chair.

India has invited Tarique Rahman to attend the summit’s outreach session in his capacity as the current chair of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).

Editorial | The trust deficit in India-Bangladesh ties 

The BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan.

Bangladesh’s participation in the summit would be closely watched amid strained ties with India following New Delhi’s decision to provide political asylum to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to the country after her ouster in a youth-led uprising in August 2024.

Earlier on Tuesday (September 8, 2026), Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi that there was no update to share on any confirmation from Dhaka on the Bangladeshi PM’s participation in the BRICS summit.

BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining in 2025.

It emerged as an influential grouping, as it brings together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5% of the global population, around 40% of the global GDP and around 26 per cent of the global trade.

Bangladesh said on Sunday (August 16, 2026) that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would not visit India until New Delhi extradited Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladeshi former premier who fled during a 2024 uprising.

The countries have had a strained relationship since deadly anti-government protests brought down Ms. Hasina’s government and prompted her to escape to neighbouring India, where she remains.

She faces the death penalty in Bangladesh after being convicted of crimes against humanity, and Dhaka has repeatedly requested her extradition.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday (August 16, 2026), Foreign Ministry official A.K.M. Shahidul Karim played down media speculation about a possible trip by Mr. Rahman to India next week.

“We are of the view that a propitious environment needs to be created for the visit,” he told reporters. “To this end, we have urged the Indian authorities to expedite their efforts to extradite Sheikh Hasina and other fugitives.”

India has said Bangladesh’s extradition request is “under examination”.

Mr. Rahman took office in February and has since visited Malaysia and China, departing from the tradition of Bangladeshi leaders heading to India for their first overseas trip.

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, met Mr. Rahman last week, fuelling speculation over a possible breakthrough.

Officials from Bangladesh and India have been in contact in recent weeks about the possibility of a visit by Mr. Rahman, Mr. Karim said. “But the process has been vitiated by Sheikh Hasina’s open media interactions, despite her being a convict in crimes against humanity.”

Ms. Hasina, a former pro-democracy leader whom critics said grew increasingly autocratic during her 15-year rule, vowed this month that she would return to Bangladesh in December even if it meant imprisonment.

Mr. Karim also said the government would pursue a “Bangladesh First” foreign policy rooted in sovereignty and non-interference while seeking mutually beneficial ties with India and other countries.

India and Bangladesh are in talks for an early bilateral visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to New Delhi, preferably before the end of this month or the first week of September, to help in full normalisation of relations. Officials hoped that the early visit would pave the way for the renewal of the Ganga waters treaty, energy deals and removal of the trade restrictions that were imposed in May 2025 on Bangladesh.

Diplomatic sources expressed cautious optimism, saying that “positive developments” can take place quickly in the coming few days. Sources in Dhaka expressed satisfaction over the ongoing exchanges between the two sides but cautioned that continued activities by former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina or her party Awami League from India have the potential to cast a shadow on fresh initiatives. Sources here also said normalisation will have to be achieved as soon as possible as the diplomatic window may close soon because of other visits and commitments that are being scheduled for the Indian leadership in the remaining four months of the year.

Also Read | Bangladesh urges India to expedite Sheikh Hasina’s extradition

The exchanges between the Indian and Bangladeshi sides began last Monday (August 10, 2026) when High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi called on Mr. Rahman at the Secretariat in Dhaka. The meeting took place against the backdrop of tension generated by the virtual press conference that was addressed by Ms. Hasina and her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy at the Foreign Correspondents Club in New Delhi on August 5, 2026. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh said it was “outraged” by Ms. Hasina’s press conference and described the event as an “afront” to the “sovereignty of Bangladesh”.

A day earlier on August 9, Bangladesh hosted a delegation led by Parag Jain, Secretary, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), the external intelligence wing of the Government of India. In response to Bangladesh’s remarks, the Ministry of External Affairs distanced itself from Ms. Hasina’s event and said India did not “endorse” the remarks that were made at the event against the “duly constituted government of Bangladesh”. The Ministry’s Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal further clarified that alongside the invite to Mr. Rahman for the BRICS meeting, India had extended an invite for a bilateral visit on February 17, 2026. This bilateral invite was further acknowledged by Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on August 10, 2026 after Mr. Trivedi met Mr. Rahman.

Subsequently, Mr. Trivedi visited Delhi and briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Tuesday evening. It has been learnt by The Hindu that the Indian side has conveyed that an “early bilateral visit preferably before the end of the month” will ensure full normalisation of India-Bangladesh ties, including “addressing the water-related issue, energy agreements, visa facilities, and lifting of restrictive measures that were imposed on the textile and food processing sectors of Bangladesh in May 2025”.

It was also communicated to the Rahman government that “if you get stuck with Hasina, you will miss the bus.” It is understood that there has been greater interest of Bangladesh in a bilateral visit for Mr. Rahman and not so much for a participation in the BRICS summit as Bangladesh is not a member of the BRICS and as a result, Mr. Rahman is unlikely to feature in the main round table meet of the leaders of the member countries. Diplomatic sources, however, cautioned that a fresh meeting by members of Ms. Hasina’s Awami League is also being planned by the end of this month in Delhi and suggested that it could hurt positive trend in the talks.

Bangladesh, one of the largest trading partners of India in the neighbourhood, has had a prolonged spell of cold relation with India since the fall of the Hasina government on August 5, 2024. The subsequent 15-month-long interim government led by Mohammed Yunus and his Council of Advisers did not hold important official discussions in areas such as water-sharing and strategic affairs.

India had reached out to Mr. Rahman on February 17 when he was sworn in after winning the February 12 election with a landslide majority. Subsequently, Mr. Rahman has remained occupied domestically with a worsening energy situation that coincided with the Gulf crisis, a measles crisis that has killed hundreds of infants, and tough challenge from the Jamaat-e-Islami that is leading the Opposition bloc in the Parliament in Dhaka. Bangladesh will elect a new President on August 20 and seniormost Cabinet member Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the choice of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party, is expected to be the new President. Mr. Rahman is likely to have a few days after that during which a visit could be scheduled.

Continued political activities by deposed Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from Indian territory “could harm” bilateral relations, the Government of Bangladesh conveyed to India on Monday (August 3, 2026) through Humayun Kobir, the Foreign Affairs Adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

Mr. Kobir met with Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi in Dhaka after Ms. Hasina’s August 5 ‘homecoming’ media event was announced here by the Foreign Correspondents Club.

“Adviser Kobir mentioned that such activities could harm the positive progress of bilateral relations between the two countries. The Indian High Commissioner assured that the matter would be duly considered, necessary inquiries would be made and efforts would be made in this regard,” the official news agency of Bangladesh UNB reported.

The meeting took place in the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, UNB said.

The report added that Dhaka expects India to ensure that no one, including Ms. Hasina, used “Indian territory to make political statements or conduct any activities aimed at creating instability within Bangladesh”.

The Indian High Commission, in a statement, said that the discussion between Mr. Trivedi and Mr. Kobir focused on “mutual interests” and “mutual benefits”.

“High Commissioner reiterated India’s intent to work positively with the Government of Bangladesh to advance the developmental aspirations of the peoples of India and Bangladesh,” said the Indian High Commission in a message.

Ms. Hasina, who has been based here since fleeing Dhaka on August 5, 2024, has given multiple telephonic and emailed interviews over the past three months expressing her desire to return to Bangladesh by the end of the year.

Earlier, on Sunday, the Foreign Correspondents Club announced that the media event featuring an audio message from Ms. Hasina would be held on August 5 and that the event titled ‘Sheikh Hasina’s Homecoming’ would also feature her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and several top functionaries of the Awami League.

Waeil Awwad, the club’s president, told The Hindu on Monday (August 3, 2026) that the event remains on track.

More than hundred days have passed since the Tarique Rahman government took charge in Bangladesh. However, contrary to early expectations from his leadership, India-Bangladesh relations have remained more or less the same as in the difficult months of the interim government.

Actions, not rhetoric

India reached out twice before Mr. Rahman became the Bangladesh Prime Minister. The first outreach was by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who visited Dhaka on December 31, 2025 to condole the passing of Mr. Rahman’s mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The second time was through Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who carried Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation letter, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla who on February 17 participated in the swearing-in ceremony of Mr. Rahman. But sources in the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) say such gestures in themselves are insufficient. An influential segment within the BNP feel that as a goodwill gesture towards the new government, India should have reversed some of the retributory steps that it had taken during the interim government’s rule under Muhammad Yunus. These steps included the restarting of transhipments for goods from Bangladesh, full restoration of visa services including business and medical visas, and stopping the restrictive market access for Bangladeshi goods. None of these measures have been implemented so far, as per Dhaka. They argue that, by not reversing these decisions, India has not delivered any advance incentives to Mr. Rahman who will have to engage with the Jamaat-e-Islami and several anti-India student outfits before normalising ties with India.

On its part, the BNP’s veteran leaders have tried to smoothen the relationship by creating greater public acceptability of the position that the presence of the deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in India will not hold ties back, a departure from the hardline stance that the interim government had taken. Here also, Dhaka feels that such attempts have not found appreciation from the Indian side.

As proof they refer to the aggressive use of ‘illegal immigration’ in official communication from Delhi following the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal and Assam. Bangladeshi diplomats have pointed out that Dhaka expected less rhetoric on sensitive issues such as illegal immigration, and more focus on issues such as visa restoration and the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty.

Dhaka had sent Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman to Delhi on April 7-8 for a brief visit, to test the waters, where he met National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Mr. Jaishankar. However, the election campaign in Assam and West Bengal around Bangladesh-related issues and a flurry of interviews by exiled PM Sheikh Hasina have displayed that Mr. Rahman’s BNP, despite winning a landslide majority in Bangladesh, has not managed to impress India. While a senior diplomat in Dhaka said that Bangladesh was assured that the language around State elections would not reflect New Delhi’s foreign policy, the Ministry of External Affairs’ strident position on illegal immigration have generated ‘a sense of betrayal’ in Dhaka’s secretariat.

According to reports, Mr. Rahman, sensing that the window for restoration of ties with India is not opening as per expectations, is in the final stages of considering visits to Malaysia and China that are likely to take place in the last week of June.

Bangladesh’s dilemma

This turn to China however cannot hide the fact that it is incumbent on Bangladesh, as much as it is on India, to repair bilateral ties. Bangladesh’s ties with India remain broken because of the 2024 uprising and the subsequent interim rule whereas its ties with China, the U.S. and other players have prospered since August 2024. Further, a pragmatic assessment shows that without steady assurance from India on the main river Padma (Ganga), Bangladesh’s other plans are not expected to proceed smoothly beyond 2026. River affairs expert Ainun Nishat has stated that a delay in the renewal of the 30-year-old Ganga treaty will put the Ganges-Kobadak irrigation project in a challenging situation affecting vast portions of western and central Bangladesh. The lack of predictable water supply will affect the upcoming sowing seasons, hurting Bangladesh’s economy that is already dealing with the crippling effects of the energy crisis because of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.

The compounded effect of these disruptive forces will increase pressure on the Tarique Rahman government that is already under criticism for its inept handling of the worst measles outbreak in the country that has claimed the lives of at least 600 infants. Critics have targeted the government for its weak handling of the health crisis as well as the growing incidents of sexual violence, which is a symptom of the breakdown of law and order in the country that is yet to make a recovery since the protests of August 2024. Rivals, including Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League that are mobilising on the ground despite a ban, will be strengthened if Mr. Rahman fails to renew the Ganga river agreement with Delhi before the deadline of December 31, 2026.

Such material factors on the ground call for pragmatism in both the capitals as the challenges will soon overwhelm Bangladesh, reverting it to instability, which again is not in India’s immediate or long-term interests.

Bangladesh “reiterated” its demand for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s extradition during talks in Delhi, said Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman in Port Louis, Mauritius, on Friday (April 10, 2026), also outlooking a visit by newly sworn in Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India.

The request had been made by the previous caretaker government under the India-Bangladesh extradition treaty and Mr. Khalilur Rahman’s comments confirm the new BNP government intends to take the process forward. Mr. Rahman held talks with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during his visit to Delhi this week, before travelling to Mauritius to attend the 9th Indian Ocean Conference.