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Why India is eager to host Bangladesh PM?
Published : Friday, 28 August, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
A recent email from India’s Rashtrapati Bhavan cancelling a weekend routine ceremony due to a rehearsal for welcoming Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman sparked wide attention, despite no official announcement of the visit.
Although the email was withdrawn within hours, it highlighted New Delhi’s growing eagerness to host the new Bangladeshi leader. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has not officially accepted the invitation yet, with Press Secretary A A M Saleh stating that no final decision has been made.
The timing of the proposed visit remains crucial, as it would mark Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's first trip to India since taking office following the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) victory in the parliamentary elections.
Bilateral ties experienced strain following the August 2024 political transition, which led to the exit of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina took refuge in India, where she continues to reside while facing a death sentence issued by a special tribunal in Dhaka for human rights violations.
Bangladesh has repeatedly requested Hasina’s extradition, but India maintains that the application remains under consideration. Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi recently held high-level meetings in Dhaka, promising that Tarique Rahman will receive the highest honors upon visiting New Delhi.
Former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran noted that New Delhi feels a sense of urgency to repair relations. India has already resumed essential steps such as energy supplies, medical visas, and trade facilitation mechanisms.
Geopolitical realities further complicate the dynamic. Following the recent change in government, Bangladesh has moved to normalize relations with Pakistan, engaging in high-level defense dialogues that New Delhi monitors closely.
Furthermore, Bangladesh is assessing interest in the recently announced "Makkah Pact" - a mutual defense framework between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir indicated that Dhaka is viewing potential participation in regional defense arrangements positively.
Dhaka University Professor Lailufar Yasmin suggested that Bangladesh must navigate its foreign policy cautiously to ensure national interests are served without overly relying on any single power.
With India set to host a BRICS summit in mid-September where Bangladesh is invited as a special guest, New Delhi hopes Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will accept the invitation to reset diplomatic relations.
-SA
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
