New Delhi witnessed a significant diplomatic engagement on Tuesday as Dinesh Trivedi, India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This meeting followed Trivedi’s courtesy call on Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka just the day before.
The Indian High Commission in Bangladesh, in a post on X, stated that High Commissioner Trivedi sought Prime Minister Modi’s guidance on “further strengthening the multifaceted and enduring bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh in a constructive manner with a people-centric approach.”
During his interaction with Prime Minister Rahman on Monday, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and expressed India’s commitment to collaborating with the Bangladeshi administration and its citizens in a “positive, constructive, and forward-looking manner.” The High Commission further reported that the two officials “exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and discussed avenues for further strengthening bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh with a people-centric approach.”
The meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat gained additional significance due to Dhaka’s expressed “hope” that India would expedite the extradition process of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina was ousted from power in 2024 following a student-led uprising.
The Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement confirming that “Bangladesh expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process of Sheikh Hasina.” Furthermore, Dhaka reiterated its request to New Delhi for the return of individuals it alleges were involved in the murder of Shahid Osman Hadi. Hadi, a prominent figure in the July uprising, was shot on December 12, 2025. The statement specified, “At the same time, Bangladesh reiterated its request to India to return the killers involved in the murder of Shahid Osman Hadi.”
During their discussions on key bilateral issues, Tarique Rahman emphasized the importance of fostering a conducive environment to advance relations between Bangladesh and India. The meeting also saw the presence of Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir, and other relevant officials. This engagement occurred a day after High Commissioner Trivedi held a one-on-one meeting with Foreign Minister Rahman.
These high-level diplomatic exchanges are unfolding amidst a backdrop of recent diplomatic friction between the two nations. This friction stemmed from a virtual press interaction by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5. The event, organized by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster, drew strong objections from Dhaka.
During her address, Hasina asserted her unwavering resolve to return to Bangladesh in December to restore democracy and put the nation back on the “right track,” despite acknowledging the risk of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.
In response, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs registered a strong protest and condemned Hasina’s statements, noting that the incident impacted public sentiment and complicated efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation.
India, however, distanced itself from Hasina’s engagement, clarifying that the government had no involvement in the event held in the national capital. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed a media briefing, stating that the event was organized by a “private media entity” and that New Delhi does not endorse any views expressed there. Jaiswal reiterated, “The interaction you refer to is being organised by a private media entity. The government has no involvement whatsoever in it. Neither does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum.”
