The Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday indicated that the upcoming visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India is set to proceed, announcing the cancellation of the weekly Change of Guard ceremony to accommodate full rehearsals for his ceremonial welcome.
"The Change of Guard Ceremony at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan will not take place this Saturday (August 22, 2026) due to the full rehearsal for the ceremonial welcome of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh," a Rashtrapati communique said.
The announcement comes amid diplomatic uncertainty surrounding Rahman's proposed visit to New Delhi for the upcoming BRICS summit on September 12–13, following recent tensions between the two neighbours over Dhaka's demand for the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Earlier on Tuesday, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi sought to ease bilateral friction during a reception in Dhaka for Bangladeshi business leaders and a visiting Indian delegation during which he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi desires to make Rahman's trip "memorable".
"Prime Minister Modi just mentioned one thing. We need to meet," Trivedi had said.
However, signals from Dhaka have remained cautious and during an interview with the state-run BSS news agency published on Thursday, Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir stated that the likelihood of Rahman’s summit visit "remains slim" unless an atmosphere built on "mutual trust" and a "dignified invitation" from New Delhi are available.