Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is likely to visit India between August 20 and 25, with Dhaka and New Delhi discussing the specific dates within the timeframe, diplomatic sources said.
The development follows Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi’s one-to-one meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 11, a day after he met Tarique in Dhaka.
Several Indian media outlets have also reported on the possible visit.
“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.
One schedule under consideration is August 20-21, while another is August 21-22.
This will be finalised once Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi resumes work in Dhaka, the source said.
Trivedi landed in Dhaka yesterday evening.
Another diplomatic source said Dhaka and New Delhi agreed to proceed with a bilateral visit after it was decided that Tarique would not attend the BRICS summit scheduled for September 12-13 in New Delhi.
Dhaka had initially preferred a date towards the end of August. However, the Indian side sought a different schedule because of Modi’s planned visit to Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State summit on September 1.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is also expected to travel to New York in early September to assume his role as president of the UN General Assembly.
Thus, both sides wanted the visit to be between August 20 and 25, the source said.
This would be Tarique’s first visit to India since he assumed office in February. This could help improve relations, which have been strained since the ouster of the Awami League government in August 2024.
There had been signs of improvement after the BNP government took office. But tensions resurfaced following deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s media appearance in New Delhi on August 5, despite Dhaka’s earlier request that India prevent her from making political statements from its territory.
The foreign ministry issued a strong statement, saying her remarks undermined Bangladesh’s judiciary and sovereignty.
Foreign policy analysts believe that the Hasina issue may also have influenced Tarique’s decision not to attend the BRICS summit.
Khalilur had earlier said Dhaka wanted New Delhi to create a conducive environment for Tarique’s visit.
On August 10, Trivedi met Tarique and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed before flying to New Delhi.
On the same day, Indian Research and Analysis Wing chief Parag Jain met Prime Minister’s Defence Affairs Adviser AKM Shamsul Islam in Dhaka.
The following day, Trivedi met Modi.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs posted a photograph of the meeting on social media, saying the high commissioner sought Modi’s guidance on further improving relations with Bangladesh.
On July 31, Trivedi met Sergio Gor, the US ambassador to India and special envoy to South and Central Asia, during the latter’s visit to Dhaka.
Tarique’s first foreign visit as prime minister was to Malaysia, followed by China, despite India’s invitation for a bilateral visit soon after he assumed office.
A former Bangladesh diplomat who was posted in New Delhi said, “Against this backdrop, India was eagerly seeking Tarique’s visit to India -- I think this visit is extremely important not only for political reasons but also for economic factors.”
Bangladesh needs energy support badly amid the US-Israel war on Iran that has affected global energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. India has interests in security, particularly in its Northeast, as well as connectivity and trade, the former diplomat said.
Water is another major issue: the Ganges Water Treaty expires in December, while the Teesta water-sharing agreement remains unresolved despite efforts dating back to 2011.
“While the Hasina factor remains, both sides can still come to a common understanding on the matter while advancing the issues that largely matter to the people -- trade and water,” the retired diplomat said.
