According to a News18 report, the Bangladesh prime minister may visit India by December this year. Sources said Rahman is keen to visit India but wants to ensure discussions take place on decisions that could be taken during his India visit. He wants to return from the visit with concrete outcomes that he can present to the people of Bangladesh.
Relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh. During the Yunus administration, ties between New Delhi and Dhaka witnessed a decline. However, after Tarique Rahman emerged at the centre of Bangladesh politics, India extended a hand of friendship.
Following the death of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar travelled to pay his respects. India was also the first country to invite Tarique Rahman after he won the election. Despite this, Rahman has not yet visited New Delhi. He has, however, travelled to China.
According to the News18 report, a close aide of Rahman in Bangladesh said that an invitation from India to attend the BRICS Summit had been received, but Tarique Rahman is unlikely to accept it. The aide stressed that this does not mean Rahman wants to avoid travelling to India.
The aide said relations between the two countries have existed since 1971 and that an important neighbour such as India cannot be sidelined. Tarique Rahman could therefore visit India by November or December this year.
Sheikh Hasina's extradition is another major issue between the two countries. Hasina had jailed BNP leaders during her tenure and had also kept Khaleda Zia in prison on corruption charges. Tarique Rahman could not return to Bangladesh during Hasina's tenure. Now that he is prime minister, he is keen to see Sheikh Hasina punished.
The Tarique Rahman government has made it clear that Sheikh Hasina should face punishment for her alleged wrongdoing. It has repeatedly demanded that India extradite Hasina.
According to sources, the Tarique Rahman government holds the Awami League leader responsible for political violence. It wants Hasina to be punished. Sources said, "The Awami League is responsible for whatever anti-India sentiment there is in Bangladesh. The BNP is not responsible for this." The Tarique Rahman government wants to take relations with India forward.
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