Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday called for a “conducive environment” to strengthen ties with India, as diplomatic tensions between the neighbours continue over former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s stay in India.
Rahman made the remarks during his first meeting with Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dhaka. The meeting came amid efforts by the two countries to stabilise relations following Hasina’s ouster in August 2024.
According to the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Rahman “emphasized the need to create a conducive environment to further advance the bilateral relations between the two countries”.
Dhaka also reiterated its request to New Delhi to expedite Hasina’s extradition. Hasina has been living in India since her government fell and faces legal proceedings in Bangladesh.
The latest request came days after Hasina addressed a virtual media interaction from New Delhi, where she said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December to restore democracy. She also acknowledged that she could face imprisonment or a death sentence if she returned.
Also read: Jharkhand protest: Students break barricades, face water cannons
Bangladesh strongly objected to the event, saying Hasina’s remarks had hurt public sentiment and complicated efforts to improve bilateral cooperation.
India has maintained that it had no role in organising the interaction. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the event was organised by a private media entity and that the Indian government neither participated in it nor endorsed any views expressed there.
During Monday’s meeting, Trivedi reiterated India’s commitment to engaging with Bangladesh in a “positive, constructive and forward-looking manner”. He also stressed the importance of direct dialogue in resolving bilateral issues.
“I feel that when two leaders meet, a lot of problems are solved. Problems are sorted out when we talk to each other,” Trivedi said ahead of his meeting with Rahman, expressing confidence that outstanding issues could be resolved through engagement.
The High Commissioner had met Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman a day earlier. The foreign minister was also present during Monday’s meeting with the prime minister.
The diplomatic exchanges come against the backdrop of continuing strains over Hasina’s presence in India and Dhaka’s demand for her return. At the same time, both sides have signalled an interest in keeping channels of communication open and preventing differences from further affecting bilateral cooperation.
Follow us
