Dhaka: The Bangladesh government on Sunday confirmed that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not visit India until New Delhi extradites former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina fled to India in 2024 after being ousted from power following a mass uprising linked to the student quota reform movement.
Bangladesh Foreign Ministry official AKM Shahidul Karim dismissed reports that Rahman would visit India next week, saying the conditions for such a visit had not yet been created.
"We are of the view that a propitious environment needs to be created for the visit," Karim told reporters.
"To this end, we have urged the Indian authorities to expedite their efforts to extradite Sheikh Hasina and other fugitives," he added.
India has previously said that Bangladesh's extradition request is "under examination."
Rahman met Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi last week, and sought former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition to Bangladesh. But there was no clarity on whether he would visit New Delhi.
“We have made our position clear on this matter. We are of the view that an appropriate environment needs to be created for this visit,” Bangladesh's foreign ministry spokesperson Shahidul Karim was quoted as saying by the Daily Star newspaper on Sunday.
By an "appropriate environment", Karim highlighted the issue of Bangladesh seeking Hasina's extradition, according to BDnews24 media portal.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have witnessed strain after Hasina virtually addressed the press on August 5 in New Delhi, where she said she is determined to return home in December to put the country on the "right track" by restoring democracy, notwithstanding the risk of facing the threat of imprisonment or a death sentence.
Bangladesh expressed outrage over the media interaction, saying the event had hurt the sentiments of its people and could adversely affect efforts to improve bilateral ties with India. They described Hasina as an "absconding, convicted genocider".
However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs on August 7 said that it had no role in the media event concerning Hasina and it does not endorse anything said at the forum about the Bangladesh government.
After Rahman's meeting with Trivedi, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said the BRICS invitation was not extended to the prime minister personally, but rather “addressed to the chairperson of BIMSTEC.”
BIMSTEC is an international group of seven countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Bangladesh holds the official state chairmanship of the regional group.
However, the Ministry of External Affairs said on August 14: "We have extended an invitation to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for a bilateral visit. We've also extended an invitation to the prime minister of Bangladesh for a visit to India for the outreach session of the BRICS Summit."
Hasina was ousted in August 2024 following violent student-led protests, and fled to India.
In November 2025, she was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Bangladesh over alleged "crimes against humanity" during the crackdown on protesters.
Dhaka has since been seeking Hasina's extradition from India, while New Delhi maintains that the extradition request is under examination in accordance with applicable law and established legal procedures.
The Bangladesh government maintains that Hasina shall have to surrender and face the law if she returns.