Delhi, Dhaka work on Tarique Rahman’s possible India visit in Nov

Efforts to finalize the bilateral visit are expected to gain momentum following the arrival of Bangladesh's newly appointed High Commissioner to India, Asad Alam Siam, who is scheduled to assume his duties in New Delhi between the last week of October and early November.

Diplomatic sources note that significant uncertainty surrounds whether the summit-level visit will materialize. The primary sticking point remains Bangladesh's unresolved demand for the extradition of deposed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who currently resides in India.

The likelihood of finalizing dates for the high-level visit increased after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman extended birthday greetings to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which Modi promptly acknowledged. However, neither the Bangladeshi foreign ministry nor the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has officially confirmed or denied the proposed timeline.

Amid these diplomatic developments, reports surfaced that Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval paid an unannounced visit to Dhaka on September 17. Neither side has officially verified or denied Doval’s day-long trip, which reportedly laid preliminary groundwork for resuming top-tier bilateral engagement.

Prior to the current discussions, New Delhi had extended two invitations to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman—first following his election victory in February and later for the BRICS Summit outreach session—neither of which materialized into a bilateral visit.

If finalized, the November summit will focus on key bilateral issues, including border security, cross-border management, trade normalization, energy cooperation, and the renewal of the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty expiring in December.