Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman (left) at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dhaka August 10, 2026. Inset: India’s R&AW chief Parag Jain, who led a small team to Dhaka to meet with senior Bangladesh Security officials August 9-10
Five days back India’s High Commissioner in Bangladesh called on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for the first time. Other visits followed including that of Parag Jain, chief of India’s RAW external intelligence agency.
Now there are indications an official visit by Rahman could take place in the coming week. While some sources say the visit could happen as early as Aug 21st, other sources said there was no clarity about dates.
Prothom Alo reported from Dhaka that the two sides have been in discussion for “Tarique Rahman’s possible visit to India this month. India has initially proposed a two-day visit in the third week of this month.”
“The government is positive about visits to all countries,” Shama Obaid Islam, state minister for foreign affairs was quoted by media in Dhaka as saying. “But it will depend on the prime minister’s schedule and how far discussions between the two countries progress. The government is busy and so is the prime minister.”
The biggest obstacle to finalising the visit is the extradition of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Diplomatic sources in Dhaka told Prothom Alo of the need for a “conducive environment” with the ousted former prime minister topping the list. It seems Rahman’s visit will hinge on progress on Sheikh Hasina’s extradition. There is no convergence yet on that issue.
Hasina’s recent online media briefing seems to have stirred a hornet’s nest in Dhaka. The official line was outrage that an “absconding convicted genocider Sheikh Hasina was allowed … to engage in live interaction with the media in New Delhi.”
The External Affairs Ministry had indicated it had nothing to do with the event and did not support it. But Delhi also said it was ready to quickly extradite those responsible for the killing of Shaheed Osman Hadi.
Bilateral issues such as trade, transit, energy, border management and regional security are likely to dominate the discussions between the two leaders. With the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty set to expire in December this year, its renewal is also likely to receive added attention.
