India Extends Dual Invitations to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tareque Rahman for Bilateral Visit and BRICS Outreach Summit

India has formally invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tareque Rahman for a bilateral state visit and to participate in the outreach segment of the upcoming BRICS summit, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the invitations during a weekly press briefing on Tuesday, following a meeting between Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi and Prime Minister Rahman on Monday. While Jaiswal described the meeting as a discussion on matters of mutual interest, he noted that the invitation for the BRICS outreach session—to be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13—stems from Bangladesh’s role as the current chair of BIMSTEC.

Diplomatic sources in New Delhi indicated that the Indian government is actively seeking to finalize the dates for the Prime Minister’s visit. Prime Minister Rahman, who assumed office in February, previously received an invitation for a bilateral visit, reflecting India’s desire to strengthen high-level diplomatic engagement.

The discussions come amid heightened tensions regarding the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity. The Bangladesh government recently expressed strong objections after Hasina, who is currently residing in India, addressed media via an audio call on the second anniversary of the July uprising.

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During recent bilateral meetings, Dhaka reiterated its formal requests for the extradition of Hasina and the individuals responsible for the murder of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman confirmed that Bangladesh has provided India with all necessary documentation and evidence requested regarding the murder case.

Addressing queries on these extraditions, Jaiswal stated that India’s position on such matters is governed by established legal procedures. He noted that the authorities are currently examining the requests and that investigations into the specific legal aspects remain ongoing.

When questioned about the recent two-day visit to Bangladesh by Parag Jain, chief of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and his reported meeting with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister’s Defense Advisor, Brigadier General (Retd.) A.K.M. Shamsul Islam, Jaiswal declined to comment. He stated that he had no information regarding the visit and suggested that other relevant ministries might be better positioned to provide details.