NEW DELHI – Former Indian foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal has strongly rebuked Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman after Dhaka reportedly tied Rahman's potential visit to India to the extradition of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Sibal described the move as "petulance, not diplomacy," warning that Rahman had "dug a hole from which he will not be able to extricate himself."
The controversy emerged on August 17, 2026, after Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that discussions regarding a bilateral visit by Prime Minister Rahman to India had been ongoing for weeks. However, the ministry stated that the process was "vitiated" by Hasina's public interactions in New Delhi on August 5.
Bangladesh Demands Extradition
Bangladesh has formally requested India to "expeditiously" act on its plea to extradite Hasina and other alleged fugitive criminals. Additionally, Dhaka sought the handover of individuals accused in the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi under the existing bilateral extradition treaty. "We are awaiting their response," the ministry declared.
Sheikh Hasina has resided in India since August 2024, following her ousting from power in Bangladesh.
India's Repeated Invitations
Despite the diplomatic friction, India has extended multiple invitations to Prime Minister Rahman. He was invited to New Delhi for the upcoming BRICS Summit, with reports suggesting he might skip the crucial event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally invited Rahman twice; the first invitation was delivered by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla during a meeting in Dhaka.
Avinash Paliwal, a non-resident scholar at Carnegie Asia and author, previously cautioned against turning down India's second invitation, labeling it a "huge error of political judgment." Paliwal highlighted that Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi was engaged in "serious, sincere, high-stakes diplomacy" to prevent further deterioration of ties between the two nations.
"It'll be a huge error of political judgment by Tarique Rahman to spurn India's 2nd invite to New Delhi," Paliwal had stated earlier this month.
The current standoff underscores significant challenges in India-Bangladesh relations, with the issue of Tarique Rahman's extradition request for Sheikh Hasina at its core.