PM Tarique likely to visit Delhi next week, meet Modi: NDTV

Highlights: 

• PM Tarique Rahman likely to visit Delhi in latter half of next week
• Tarique expected to meet Indian counterpart Modi during visit
• Proposed talks may cover trade, connectivity, energy and regional security
• Hasina's extradition expected to remain sensitive issue in bilateral discussions
• 1996 Ganges water-sharing treaty due to expire in December

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is likely to visit New Delhi in the latter half of next week, with preparations reportedly underway in both Bangladesh and India, NDTV reported today (14 August) citing sources in Dhaka and Delhi.

A senior foreign ministry official told The Business Standard that the matter is still under consideration, but no date has been finalised.

When asked whether the visit will take place during the upcoming BRICS summit or before it, the official said no decision has yet been made.

If finalised, it would be Tarique's first visit to India since becoming prime minister and could mark an important step towards repairing ties between the two neighbours.

Tarique is expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the proposed two-day bilateral visit. Their discussions are likely to cover trade, connectivity, energy, border management and regional security, although the detailed itinerary is still being finalised, according to NDTV.

New Delhi had invited Tarique to visit India shortly after he assumed office in February. India's Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday (11 August) that Tarique had been invited to India for a bilateral visit as well as to participate as the chairperson of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) in the outreach session of the 18th BRICS summit, to be held in New Delhi on 12-13 September.

A day earlier, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said the government had not yet decided whether the prime minister would attend the BRICS summit outreach session.

He also urged the media to understand the difference between two separate invitations from the Indian side.

"First of all, I am not an astrologer. So I cannot predict on which exact day it will happen. Secondly, the Bimstec invitation was not extended to the prime minister personally; it was addressed to the chairperson of Bimstec," he told reporters.

First Tarique-Modi meeting

The proposed meeting is expected to draw close attention in both countries as Dhaka and Delhi seek to reset strained relations.

Tarique's assumption of power has prompted India to reassess its engagement with Dhaka. Bilateral ties deteriorated significantly after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League regime in August 2024 following the July Uprising, particularly over her continued stay in India and Bangladesh's subsequent request for her extradition.

The new BNP-led government, however, has expressed its willingness to maintain constructive relations with India. 

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman visited New Delhi in April and met Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. 

On August 10, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi met the prime minister in Dhaka, with the two sides discussing efforts to improve bilateral ties. 

The extradition of ousted prime minister Hasina and the return of those accused in the murder of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi were among the key issues discussed at the meeting.

Hasina extradition remains a key issue

Hasina's extradition is expected to remain one of the most sensitive issues in bilateral discussions. 

She fled to India on 5 August 2024 and has remained there since. 

Dhaka formally requested her extradition after the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death for crimes against humanity committed during the uprising. 

India has said it is examining the request through established legal and diplomatic procedures. 

Tensions over the issue resurfaced this month after Hasina addressed journalists virtually from New Delhi. 

The government on 5 August condemned India's decision to allow Hasina to participate in the live interaction, calling it an affront to Bangladesh's sovereignty and a setback to efforts to reset bilateral ties.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Dhaka had conveyed its concerns to Delhi in advance about the possible implications of the event for bilateral relations, but the programme had been allowed to proceed.

India has denied involvement in organising the programme. 

Trade, water and border issues on agenda 

The proposed talks are also expected to address several longstanding practical issues, including trade, transit, energy cooperation, connectivity and border management, reports NDTV. 

Water sharing could emerge as another major issue, particularly as the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty is due to expire in December. Discussions on renewing the agreement are likely to become increasingly important as the deadline approaches.