DHAKA: Bangladesh has made it clear that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not visit India until New Delhi expedites the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India during the 2024 popular uprising that toppled her government .
Relations between the two neighbours have been severely strained since Hasina sought refuge in India on August 5, 2024. She now faces a death sentence in Bangladesh after being convicted of crimes against humanity by the International Crimes Tribunal in November 2025 .
Speaking to journalists, Bangladesh Foreign Ministry official AKM Shahidul Karim dismissed speculation about Prime Minister Rahman’s potential visit next week, stating that a “propitious environment” must first be created .
“To this end, we have requested the Indian authorities to expeditiously act on our request to extradite Sheikh Hasina and other fugitive criminals, and to hand over to Bangladesh the accused killers of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi in compliance with our bilateral extradition treaty,” Karim said . “We are awaiting their response.”
Karim noted that officials from both countries had been in talks for several weeks regarding a possible visit, but the process was “vitiated” by Hasina’s press conference in New Delhi on August 5, where she announced her determination to return to Bangladesh
