Bangladesh on Sunday urged India to act expeditiously on its request and help create a “propitious environment” for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to make a bilateral visit to India.
"We are of the view that a propitious environment needs to be created for the visit," said A.K.M. Shahidul Karim, spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said officials of Bangladesh and India have been in touch with each other for several weeks on the possibility of a bilateral visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India.
However, spokesperson Karim said, this process was “vitiated” by the open press interaction in New Delhi on 5th August by Sheikh Hasina who has been convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal for committing crimes against humanity.
"We have made our position clear on this matter," he said while reading out a written statement. The spokesperson, however, did not take any question.
To this end, Bangladesh requested the Indian authorities to expeditiously act on its request to extradite Sheikh Hasina and other fugitive criminals, and to hand over to Bangladesh the accused killers of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi in compliance with their bilateral extradition treaty.
"We are awaiting their response," said the spokesperson.
Bangladesh reiterated that they will continue to pursue their "Bangladesh First" policy to promote friendly bilateral relations with other countries, including their neighbours, on the basis of sovereign equality, national dignity, non-interference in each other's internal affairs and mutual benefit.
On Hasina’s extradition request, the Indian government has recently said that the matter is being examined as part of ongoing judicial and internal legal processes.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in New Delhi on Friday evening that they have extended an invitation to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for a bilateral visit.
“We've also extended an invitation to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for a visit to India for the outreach session of the BRICS Summit. So, these invitations have been extended, and I shall keep you updated if there is any progress in this regard,” he added.
On Thursday, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said Tarique Rahman’s visits to India and Japan had not yet been finalised, stressing that the timing would depend on the prime minister’s schedule and the progress of discussions between the two countries.
“The government is busy, the Prime Minister is busy,” she told reporters, referring to the government’s ongoing domestic programmes and upcoming constitutional activities.
Asked whether the prime minister would attend the BRICS Summit’s outreach session or undertake a bilateral visit to India, the state minister said there was still sufficient time to make a decision. “A lot can happen in a month,” she said.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi on Saturday highlighted the importance of working together to advance the partnership in key sectors and nurture the exceptional bond of friendship between Bangladesh and India.
“We recognise that it is the people-to-people connection, rooted in shared aspiration and mutual goodwill, that remains the true beating heart of this enduring friendship,” he said while celebrating India’s 80th Independence Day at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
Trivedi urged the two countries to work together towards shared prosperity, noting that Bangladesh and India are advancing their partnership across vital sectors, ranging from trade and connectivity to security and healthcare.
“Let us also continue to nurture the exceptional bonds of friendship between India and Bangladesh, working hand in hand toward shared prosperity,” he said.
The High Commissioner reflected on the foundations of the relationship and said the two countries are bound by a shared history of the freedom struggle and had built their ties on mutual respect and partnership.
“With the history of the freedom struggle, our bond is deeply entwined. On this solid bedrock of shared history, mutual respect, and partnership, our relationship continues to flourish,” Trivedi said.