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Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's proposed visit to India has yet to be finalised, with the timing depending on his "schedule" and the "progress" in bilateral discussions, a junior minister said on Thursday. "The government is positive about visits to all countries. But it will depend on the PM's schedule and on how far discussions between the two countries progress," State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam told reporters at the foreign office. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited his Bangladesh counterpart to join the outreach of the upcoming BRICS summit in New Delhi in his capacity as the current chair of the BIMSTEC, as India is hosting the event on September 12-13. The BIMSTEC, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, is a regional grouping comprising India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Tuesday said that two separate ...
Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday declared that she is determined to return home in December to put the country on the "right track" as she is undeterred by the threat of imprisonment or a death sentence. Hasina made the remarks during an audio-only virtual press conference -- her first public media interaction since fleeing to India on August 5, 2024 in the face of a massive protest. Attendees were unable to see the former prime minister and heard only her voice. "I know, they may put me in jail or kill me," she said, adding "I will go back home to be with my people." The Awami League leader also described India as a "great friend" of Bangladesh and said it always stood by her country in times of difficulty. In her comments, Hasina delved into the prevailing political environment in her country and the challenges facing its people, asserting that her return is not about power but to put Bangladesh back on the track of development, secularism and ...
Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday declared that she is determined to return home in December, pledging to face the risk of arrest or a death sentence, in order to "restore democracy and justice" to the country. Hasina said this at a virtual press conference in her first public media interaction since fleeing to India on August 5, 2024. "My return is not about power, it's about putting Bangladesh back on track of development, secularism and prosperity," she said. "I know, they may put me in jail or kill me," she said, adding, "I will go back home to be with my people." Hasina, 78, has been living in India since fleeing Dhaka. "I have decided to go and I will go to Bangladesh," she asserted. Last November, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Dhaka for alleged "crimes against humanity" over her government's brutal crackdown on student-led protests in 2024. Since that verdict, Dhaka has been urging New Delhi to extradite her t
Bangladesh has sought clarification from India over its position on deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's planned press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, coinciding with the second anniversary of her government's ouster, a minister here said on Monday. Addressing a media briefing, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam also said that Hasina's public political activities from Indian territory could have a negative impact on bilateral relations between the two countries. According to some media reports, Hasina, 78, is expected to join a private event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia (FCC South Asia) virtually on August 5 in New Delhi. Hasina's US-based son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, and Bangladesh Human Rights Watch general secretary Mahammad Ali Siddique are among those who would join the event. "Bangladesh wants India to make its position clear on the matter," Shama said, adding that Dhaka do
A parliamentary committee has said that illegal migration from Bangladesh continues to remain a matter of "serious concern", as it also recommended that a "dedicated bilateral mechanism" or a joint working group be set up between the two countries to monitor the progress of nationality verification and repatriation. The panel also noted that continued diligence is essential to "ensure that Indian nationals are not deported to Bangladesh in error". The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, led by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, said this in a report tabled in Parliament on Thursday. It is titled - "Action Taken by the Government on the Observations/ Recommendations contained in the Ninth Report of the Committee on the subject 'Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship'". The panel noted that illegal migration from Bangladesh "continues to remain a matter of serious concern, particularly in the border states of West Bengal and Assam". The committee said it is aware tha
Bangladesh is "reviewing" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to his counterpart Tarique Rahman to visit India, a senior minister said here on Wednesday. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman made the comments when asked about India's invitation to PM Tarique Rahman to attend the upcoming 18th BRICS Summit in Delhi. "We are currently reviewing it (invitation)," Rahman told reporters after High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi paid a courtesy call on him five weeks after his arrival as the Indian envoy here. In a post on X, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said the envoy "reaffirmed India's commitment to a positive, constructive and forward-looking partnership with Bangladesh, rooted in mutual interest and mutual benefit, and to deepening people-centric cooperation across all sectors." He also met State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam for a wide-ranging exchange on strengthening bilateral ties, it added. Rahman said the premier has received several invitations for ...
Bangladesh's President Mohammad Shahabuddin is likely to resign soon, nearly two years ahead of his tenure, political sources and media reports said on Thursday. Shahabuddin was elected to the highest office by the past parliament and happens to be the only person still holding his constitutional position long after the violent July-August 2024 student-led street protest that toppled prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government. Hasina fled to India and has been living there since August 5, 2024. "It is likely that he (Shahabuddin) will resign soon," a senior leader of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) told PTI without further elaboration. However, reports carried by several mainstream Bangladeshi media over his resignation gained momentum in the past two days suggesting Prime Minister Rahman's government was no longer comfortable with Shahabuddin. Newspaper Prothom Alo quoted a high-level government source as saying that the ...
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met the visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and offered Beijing's support for the new government in Dhaka. On the final day of his five-day visit, Rahman met Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi told Rahman that China supports Bangladesh's new government in its smooth administration and stands ready to carry out high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Dhaka. Xi said China is willing to map out key cooperation with Bangladesh and tap into the potential for collaboration in green and low-carbon development, digital economy, information technology, artificial intelligence and other fields, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. Before meeting Xi, Rahman met Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China and discussed issues related to bilateral ties. On Thursday, Rahman held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, after which they signed 13 agreements. The two countri
Bangladesh on Tuesday termed as "unsatisfactory" New Delhi's explanation involving the hassle of an adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at Indira Gandhi International Airport. "The explanation provided by the Indian side over the incident was not satisfactory," the state-run BSS news agency reported, quoting a foreign ministry spokesperson. He said the incident involving Prime Minister's Adviser for Information and Strategy Zahed Ur Rahman was "unfortunate and regrettable". According to the official, Indian authorities were informed beforehand in due process through diplomatic channels that the premier's adviser would lead the Bangladesh delegation at a meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). BSS reported that Rahman was scheduled to lead the Bangladesh delegation before being prevented from proceeding through Delhi airport earlier this month. Dhaka's reaction came a day after the External Affairs Ministry said Rahman was permitted entry into India after reconfirm
Bangladesh on Monday summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner and conveyed its "deep disappointment" over an incident involving an adviser of the Prime Minister at the Delhi airport, according to media reports here. Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, the Prime Minister's Adviser on Policy and Strategy Affairs, and Information and Broadcasting, was stopped by immigration authorities at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Sunday evening when his name was reportedly flagged during a routine security check, state-run BSS news agency reported. Citing a foreign ministry official, the news agency said that the ministry summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe and expressed its "deep disappointment" over the incident. Separately, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman said that the government was taking appropriate steps regarding the matter. "It is an unexpected incident, unfortunate, too," he told reporters. Citing diplomatic sources, the Prothom Alo newspaper reported th
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said around 4,800 illegal immigrants have been sent to Bangladesh from holding centres set up in the state's border districts, and around 836 such people are awaiting deportation from these facilities. Adhikari asserted that illegal immigration was a big issue, and said his government has already handed over land to the BSF to erect around 100 km of fencing, out of the 556 km required to secure the India-Bangladesh border. The land handover is a continuous process and is necessary for the security of the country, he said, adding that securing the international boundary is the state government's priority. "We have handed over to the BSF around 100 km stretch of land out of 556 km required for fencing, and prioritised the Chicken's Neck corridor in north Bengal," the chief minister said, while addressing a preparatory meeting for the BJP's special training camp. The 'Chicken's Neck', officially known as the Siliguri Corridor, is a