It is not often that an official email offers a glimpse into relations between two neighboring countries.
But a message from the Indian president’s office earlier this month did just that, quickly catching the attention of diplomats and journalists.
It said a weekend Change of Guard ceremony at the presidential palace had been cancelled because rehearsals were being held for the ceremonial welcome of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
There was just one problem: no visit had been officially announced.
Within hours, the email was withdrawn. But it added to weeks of speculation over a possible visit by Rahman – and highlighted India’s efforts to bring Bangladesh’s new leader to Delhi.
Rahman is yet to accept. "No decision has yet been made on the visit," AAM Saleh, the Bangladeshi prime minister’s press secretary, told the BBC.
India is keen to host the leader of its eastern neighbour for talks – and the timing matters. This would be Rahman’s first visit since taking office after his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a landslide victory in February.
The vote marked a new political era in Bangladesh after the country’s long-time leader Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a mass uprising in August 2024, in which hundreds of people were killed. She fled to India, where she has remained since.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, which took over after Hasina’s removal.
Now, Delhi is hoping Rahman’s government offers a chance to reset a crucial relationship – but Hasina’s presence on Indian soil is making that harder.
Bangladesh has asked India to extradite Hasina, who was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal for ordering lethal force to be used against protesters during the uprising. She denies the charges.
“We called for the creation of a propitious environment and are awaiting response from the Indian side regarding expediting extradition of Sheikh Hasina,” Saleh said.
India says the request is being considered.
Despite the issue, Delhi has repeatedly overtures to the new government. A formal invitation was extended to Rahman soon after he took office, and India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi has held discussions with Bangladeshi officials, including the prime minister, in recent weeks.
When Rahman visits, Trivedi has said, he will be "accorded the highest honour" and given a "memorable welcome".
Such public enthusiasm is unusual for India, which does not often make such a strong show of wanting to host the leader of a neighbouring country.
I would imagine that there is a degree of frustration [in Delhi] because except for actually handing over Hasina, they have gone pretty far in terms of reaching out to Dhaka,"
Shyam Saran, a former Indian foreign secretary, told the BBC.
Saran points to India’s efforts to meet some of Bangladesh’s immediate needs, including supplying electricity and fuel and issuing medical visas. Several bilateral mechanisms aimed at facilitating trade have also been revived, he said.
Of course, there is a lot at stake for both countries.
India and Bangladesh share a 4,096km (2,545-mile) border, as well as close cultural and linguistic ties. Bilateral trade was worth more than $12bn last year, overwhelmingly in India’s favour.
Bangladesh is also important to India’s efforts to improve access to its north-eastern states.
During Hasina’s 15 years in power, the two governments expanded road, rail and port links, improving India’s access to its north-east. They also worked closely on security, with Hasina’s government cracking down on insurgent groups that India said had been operating from Bangladeshi territory.
The recently announced Mecca pact – a defence agreement signed this month by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, three powerful Islamic countries – has also sparked interest from several nations, including Bangladesh.
The specifics of the agreement and the obligations on each party are not clear, but it is modelled on NATO’s collective defence principle: that an attack on one member would be seen as an attack on all.
“If there is a security arrangement among Islamic nations in the Middle East, it is not unusual for us to consider participating,” Bangladesh’s junior foreign minister Humayun Kabir told journalists this week.
Bangladesh said it was “outraged” that she had been allowed to speak publicly on Indian soil.
India’s foreign ministry said it had "no role" in the event and did not "endorse anything said at the forum, especially with regard to the duly constituted government of Bangladesh"”;
Rahman’s government, meanwhile, has reasons to demonstrate that its foreign policy is not overly dependent on its giant neighbour.
Prof Yasmin says Rahman should visit Delhi before the UN General Assembly meeting in New York in mid-September.
“Neighbours have to live together,” she says.
For Rahman, travelling to Delhi while Hasina remains there could therefore carry a political cost at home.
Prof Yasmin says Rahman should visit Delhi before the UN General Assembly meeting in New York in mid-September.
It’s a significant opportunity for both countries to rebuild trust and strengthen their relationship, given the history of tension between them.
The timing was particularly sensitive. Lailufar Yasmin, a professor at Dhaka University, says there had been reports that Rahman was seriously considering a visit to India before Hasina’s appearance.
“It actually created a huge backlash in Bangladesh,” she says. “Questions were raised whether Indian authorities were sincere about a reset in bilateral relationship.”
For India, these developments are a reminder that its relationship with Bangladesh is changing, and that Delhi can no longer assume the exceptionally close relationship it enjoyed under Hasina.
Rahman’s government, meanwhile, has reasons to demonstrate that its foreign policy is not overly dependent on its giant neighbour.
Prof Yasmin says Rahman should visit Delhi before the UN General Assembly meeting in New York in mid-September.
“Neighbours have to live together,” she says.
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Source: BBC News
