Bangladesh, India Continue Talks on Tarique Rahman’s Proposed New Delhi Visit

Bangladesh has kept open the possibility of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman travelling to India, but the proposed bilateral visit has not yet been assigned a date. Dhaka says discussions with New Delhi are continuing and that the visit will be arranged when both governments agree on an appropriate timeframe.

Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said the government is not seeking to finalise the trip in haste. He indicated that the timing would be determined through discussions between the two countries and would depend on conditions considered suitable by both sides.

The proposed visit has gained attention amid efforts by Dhaka to establish a new pattern of engagement with New Delhi. Kobir has said Bangladesh wants bilateral matters to be addressed directly through government-to-government discussions, rather than making the relationship dependent on multilateral events.

The question of Rahman’s India visit has also been linked to the BRICS Summit held in New Delhi. Bangladesh did not send its prime minister to the summit after Dhaka maintained that the invitation was connected to Bangladesh’s position as chair of BIMSTEC. Kobir said Rahman’s first visit to India should instead take place as a bilateral engagement.

India has subsequently clarified that Rahman had received two separate invitations. According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, one invitation was for a bilateral visit, while another was related to the BRICS outreach session in his capacity as BIMSTEC chair. The clarification came amid differing statements over the nature of the BRICS invitation.

The bilateral invitation therefore remains a separate issue from Bangladesh’s decision regarding participation in the BRICS gathering. No confirmed date for Rahman’s New Delhi visit has been announced, and further communication between Dhaka and New Delhi will determine when the meeting takes place.

The development comes at a time when both countries are working through several areas of bilateral engagement. Bangladesh has been seeking a recalibration of its relationship with India, while Indian officials have continued to maintain diplomatic contact with Dhaka.

For now, the proposed visit remains under discussion rather than being cancelled. The next step will depend on consultations between the two governments and their agreement on a mutually acceptable schedule.