Bangladesh PM’s foreign visit plans won’t cast shadow on Indo-Bangladesh ties: Official sources

Tariq Rahman | Photo credit: AP

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s foreign visit plans will not affect bilateral relations with India as the relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi has its own dynamics and demands which are important in their own right, an official source said here on Wednesday (Jun 17, 2026). The official’s remarks came amid reports that Mr Rahman, who came to power on February 17, will undertake the first round of foreign visits next week, taking him to Malaysia and China. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) sources told The Hindu that Prime Minister Rahman is considering visiting India in July after returning from the first round of foreign tours.

“Bangladesh’s relationship with India cannot be replaced by any other country. We share nearly 4,000 km of border and no one can replace the work India is doing for Bangladesh,” said the source, who stressed that Delhi’s relations with Dhaka are independent of any foreign visits by the Bangladeshi leadership. He further said that the two sides must maintain positive momentum in the relationship to help re-track the relationship, which has remained in turmoil since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024. Last weekend, Indian High Commissioner-designate Dinesh Trivedi reached Bangladesh through the land border in West Bengal and called for resolving the differences between the two sides through dialogue.

However, Jamaat-e-Islami, the main opposition party in Bangladesh’s parliament, launched a series of rallies in Dhaka and Chittagong protesting Mr. Trivedi’s remarks, arguing that the envoy was talking about uniting Bangladesh with India. Speaking to The Hindu on Wednesday (June 17, 2026), an official source blamed social media for the controversy and said, “He meant to bring people of both countries together through dialogue.” Prime Minister Rahman is expected to return from China on June 25 or 26, when High Commissioner Trivedi is expected to settle into his new role in Dhaka, and this should help formalize high-level talks between the two sides.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a letter of invitation to Prime Minister Rahman through Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who along with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended Mr. Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony in Dhaka on February 17. However, Mr. Rahman has not yet been able to visit Delhi, although his Foreign Secretary Kobir Khalilur Rahh visited the Special Foreign Affairs Dillur Rahi Administration in Dhaka. in the second week of April ahead of the Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius where Mr Rahman participated in a discussion alongside External Affairs Minister Jaishankar. Bangladesh Nationalist Party sources told The Hindu earlier that Prime Minister Rahman’s plans to visit India will come soon after he returns from Malaysia and China. “A visit to India is definitely on the cards. It may happen soon after the visit to China,” a BNP source said.

Published – 17 Jun 2026 22:53 IST