India and Bangladesh are looking to schedule Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s India visit for the third week of November, according to a Times of India report, and no meeting has been confirmed by either side. The trip would be his first official visit to India since taking office, and Dhaka’s central worry is the unsettled question of Sheikh Hasina’s extradition.
Why The Visit Was Postponed In August
Delhi had invited Rahman for a bilateral visit in August, but it did not happen. Outrage followed in Bangladesh over Hasina’s remarks to the media via an audio link on August 5, which marked two years since her government fell. Since then, Dhaka has tied the trip to the wider dispute. It said a “propitious environment” was needed for the visit while it awaited New Delhi’s response to the extradition request.
Where India Stands On Extradition
India has said it received Dhaka’s request and is examining it. New Delhi’s position is that the matter must be handled under the bilateral treaty and legal process. That leaves the outcome open. Hasina has been sentenced to death in absentia in Bangladesh for crimes against humanity, and she remains in India.
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More Conditions On The Table
Extradition is not the only demand. Bangladesh has also asked for a new agreement on sharing Ganges waters, since the 1996 treaty’s 30-year term expires in December this year. A second condition is an assurance that Hasina will not engage in political activities from Indian soil.
Signs Of A Thaw
There are positive signals. Efforts to reschedule are likely to gain momentum after the new Bangladesh high commissioner, Asad Alam Siam, arrives in late October or early November. Rahman’s birthday greetings to Modi and Modi’s reply also showed a thaw. Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi is understood to have started the conversation, with dates that suit Prime Minister Modi’s schedule.
Both capitals want to stop one dispute from overshadowing trade, energy and connectivity ties. Whether the November visit goes ahead will depend on how much progress is made on Hasina, the Ganges treaty and the tone of her public appearances before then.
