Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is likely to visit India between August 20 and 25, with Dhaka and New Delhi discussing specific dates for what would be his first trip to India since assuming office earlier this year. Diplomatic sources said preparations for the visit have begun on both sides, although the dates have not yet been formally announced. India has reportedly proposed August 21 and 22 for the visit, while Bangladesh is examining the dates in view of Rahman's domestic commitments. Some officials in Dhaka are also understood to favour an early September visit. The proposed trip assumes considerable diplomatic significance as India and Bangladesh seek to reset a relationship that went through a turbulent phase following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government in August 2024.
Rahman became Bangladesh's Prime Minister in February after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance came to power, ending the interim administration headed by Muhammad Yunus. India invited Rahman for a bilateral visit soon after he assumed office. New Delhi has also invited him to participate in the outreach session associated with the BRICS Summit. India's Ministry of External Affairs confirmed this week that invitations for both engagements had been extended.
If the August visit goes ahead, it will provide Rahman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi an opportunity for extensive bilateral discussions at a time when both governments have publicly indicated a desire to improve relations. India's new High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, met Rahman in Dhaka earlier this week. During the meeting, the Bangladesh Prime Minister called for creating a "conducive environment" to improve relations between the neighbours.
One of the most sensitive issues likely to figure in the discussions is Bangladesh's demand for the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024. Dhaka has repeatedly pressed New Delhi to extradite Hasina. Rahman renewed that demand during his meeting with the Indian High Commissioner on August 10, asking India to expedite the process.
India has said the extradition request is being examined through the appropriate legal processes. The issue has emerged as a major irritant in bilateral relations, with Dhaka also objecting to Hasina making public political statements while staying in India. Despite those differences, Rahman's government has indicated that it wants to pursue a pragmatic relationship with New Delhi. Members of the BNP-led establishment have spoken of building a mutually beneficial relationship while following a "Bangladesh First" foreign policy.
Beyond the Hasina issue, any Modi-Rahman talks are expected to cover the broader range of issues that shape ties between the two neighbours.
India and Bangladesh share a border of more than 4,000 km and have deep economic, security and cultural connections. Trade, connectivity, border management, water sharing, energy cooperation and regional security have traditionally occupied a prominent place in bilateral discussions.
The relationship, however, faced considerable strain during the political upheaval in Bangladesh following Hasina's departure. Concerns over attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, border issues and increasingly sharp political rhetoric added to tensions.
The proposed Rahman visit is therefore being viewed as an opportunity to move the relationship towards more structured political engagement.
Earlier this week, Rahman told India's envoy that the two countries needed to create conditions conducive to resetting ties, signalling that Dhaka was interested in moving beyond recent tensions even as outstanding disagreements remained.
While diplomatic preparations have gathered pace, the precise schedule remains unsettled.
Reports from Dhaka said Rahman is likely to travel sometime between August 20 and 25. New Delhi has proposed August 21-22, but Bangladesh is assessing whether those dates can be accommodated within the Prime Minister's schedule.
Another possibility under consideration is moving the bilateral visit to early September if the August dates cannot be finalised.
The uncertainty means neither government has formally confirmed Rahman's travel schedule so far.
If the visit materialises this month, it would represent one of the most important high-level engagements between India and Bangladesh since the political transition in Dhaka and could provide the first substantial indication of how Modi and Rahman intend to manage one of South Asia's most consequential bilateral relationships.