Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to make his first official visit to India between August 20-25. The trip comes amid diplomatic tensions, with Dhaka seeking the extradition of ousted former PM Sheikh Hasina from India.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is likely to undertake his first official visit to India between August 20 and August 25, with Dhaka and New Delhi currently discussing the exact dates, Daily Star reported, citing diplomatic sources.

Proposed Visit Schedule

According to Daily Star, citing diplomatic sources, the proposed visit is being considered, as both sides have been keen to arrange a bilateral engagement, while scheduling issues have so far remained a hurdle. "Both sides have been interested in a bilateral visit, but the schedule was an issue. After weighing various schedules, the top officials of both countries have come close to a schedule between August 20 and 25," a diplomatic source in New Delhi told The Daily Star.

According to The Daily Star, citing the source, two possible schedules are currently under consideration - August 20-21 and August 21-22. The final dates are expected to be decided after Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi resumes his duties in Dhaka, the source said. However, there is no official confirmation from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Visit Amid Diplomatic Tensions

The development comes after Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi held a one-to-one meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on August 11, a day after the High Commissioner met Rahman in Dhaka. If confirmed, the visit would be Tarique Rahman's first trip to India since he assumed office in February.

Dhaka Seeks Hasina's Extradition

The proposed visit assumes significance amid recent diplomatic tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi following Sheikh Hasina's public remarks from India, who has been in India since she was ousted from the country after a student-led uprising in 2024. On Monday, Bangladesh expressed "hope" that India will expedite the extradition process of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in 2024, during a meeting between Trivedi and Rahman.

Trivedi, who was appointed as India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, paid a courtesy call on Tarique Rahman at the Prime Minister's Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat. According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Prime Minister's Office, "Bangladesh expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process of Sheikh Hasina."

India's Stance on Hasina's Media Event

The diplomatic dialogue comes against the backdrop of a virtual press interaction by former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5, organised by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster following the 2024 student-led uprising, an event that drew strong objections from Dhaka.

India had sidelined itself from Hasina's engagement, stating that the government has no involvement in the event related to Hasina in the national capital. Addressing a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stressed that the event was being organised by a "private media entity" and that New Delhi does not endorse any views that may be expressed there. "The interaction you refer to is being organised by a private media entity. The government has no involvement whatsoever in it. Neither does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum," Jaiswal said. (ANI)

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