Bangladesh on Sunday linked Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to New Delhi with the extradition of his predecessor Sheikh Hasina, India Today reported.

This move added a fresh hurdle to efforts by both sides to inject momentum into bilateral ties. Dhaka’s position was conveyed by a government spokesperson, who stressed that India should create “a propitious environment” for the visit by expeditiously acting on its extradition request.

Rahman, in a recent speech, made no mention of India’s supply of 7,000 tons of diesel under an agreement to provide Bangladesh with 1,80,000 tons this year to help address its energy crisis. 

Instead, he highlighted cooperation with China and Malaysia to deal with severe shortages. His silence on India’s aid contrasted with Dhaka’s praise for Beijing’s support in the energy sector.

If Rahman decides against visiting New Delhi without progress on Hasina’s extradition, the earliest opportunity for him to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month.

India had already prepared a series of deliverables for Rahman’s proposed visit, including soft loans, easing of trade and transit restrictions, and additional diesel supplies. New Delhi also hoped the meeting would add momentum to negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and renewal of the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty, which expires on 11 December this year.

Dhaka, however, chose to link Rahman’s maiden visit as prime minister to India’s response on Hasina’s extradition. The Awami League supremo has been living in India since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024 after mass protests toppled her government.

Bangladesh’s Additional Foreign Secretary A K M Shahidul Karim reiterated that Dhaka had requested India to extradite Hasina and other fugitives, as well as hand over the accused killers of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi under the bilateral treaty.

Hasina was sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi court last year over the crackdown on protesters during the July–August 2024 unrest. India has maintained that hosting her is consistent with its tradition of providing refuge to those facing existential crises, and has conveyed that her presence would not impede engagement with Bangladesh.

Hadi, a prominent leader of the July 2024 uprising, was shot in Dhaka on 12 December 2025 and died six days later in Singapore while undergoing treatment.

In March this year, police in West Bengal arrested Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Hossain, accused of killing Hadi, after they sneaked into India. Dhaka has sought their extradition alongside its request concerning Hasina.

After Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party won the parliamentary elections and he was sworn in as prime minister earlier this year, India extended an invitation for him to visit. He was also invited to attend the outreach session of the BRICS summit in New Delhi in his capacity as BIMSTEC chair. 

Dhaka’s latest move to link the visit with Hasina’s extradition came amid India’s expectation that Rahman would undertake a bilateral visit late this month or early next month, even if he skipped the BRICS outreach.

Dhaka confirmed that discussions with New Delhi over the proposed visit were ongoing. However, it added that the process was “vitiated” by Hasina’s virtual interaction with journalists at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi on 5 August, marking the second anniversary of her government’s fall. India clarified that the event was organised by a private media entity and had no government endorsement.

The developments underscore the complex interplay of politics, diplomacy, and energy cooperation shaping Bangladesh–India relations. While India has sought to strengthen ties through economic and energy support, Dhaka’s insistence on Hasina’s extradition has introduced a contentious dimension that could delay Rahman’s first official visit to New Delhi.

Agencis