PM Tarique likely to visit Delhi next week, meet Modi: NDTV

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to visit New Delhi in the second half of next week, with preparations reportedly underway in Bangladesh and India, NDTV reported today (14 August), citing sources in Dhaka and New Delhi.

Tarique is expected to meet Narendra Modi during the proposed two-day bilateral visit. Their discussions are likely to cover trade, connectivity, energy, border management, water sharing, and regional security, although the itinerary is still being finalised, the report said.

If confirmed, it would be Tarique's first visit to India as prime minister. He visited Malaysia and China in June.

The proposed visit comes as Dhaka and New Delhi seek to reset strained bilateral relations, but its timing remains uncertain.

A foreign ministry official told The Business Standard that the visit was still under consideration. Asked whether it would take place before or during the upcoming BRICS summit, the official said no decision had been made.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam also said on Thursday that Tarique's proposed visits to India and Japan had yet to be finalised.

"The government is busy, the prime minister is busy," she told reporters, referring to the government's ongoing domestic programmes and upcoming constitutional activities.

She said the timing of the proposed visits would depend on the prime minister's schedule and progress in bilateral discussions. "If everything fits together, then of course there will be a visit to India, a visit to Japan; all the visits will happen," she said.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said the government had yet to decide whether Tarique would attend the BRICS summit's outreach session.

"I am not an astrologer, so I can't predict on which exact day it will happen," he told reporters, adding that the Bimstec invitation was addressed to the organisation's chairperson rather than the prime minister personally.

A diplomatic source told UNB: "Everything I'm reading – not only here in India, but also in Bangladesh – they are all saying possibilities. So, I think these are all speculation in the absence of an official confirmation. Nobody clearly knows yet. However, there appeared to be interest on both sides in making the visit happen."

India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday that New Delhi had invited Tarique for a bilateral visit as well as to attend the BRICS summit's outreach session. "These invitations have been extended, and I shall keep you updated if there is any progress in this regard," he told reporters in New Delhi.

India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on 12-13 September.

India ready to host PM

Asked about preparations for a high-level visit, a senior official told UNB that the process normally begins with the two sides agreeing on dates, followed by formal confirmation of the programme and the visiting prime minister's availability.

Media reports have suggested possible dates in August and September, while preparations are underway to accommodate the visit at short notice.

"Before any kind of high-level visit, there is a certain amount of time needed for preparation. You don't have enough time if you want this visit to take place next week," a source told UNB, noting that an exceptional approach was possible.

Officials also need to determine what the leaders will discuss and whether any issues need to be resolved beforehand.

The proposed visit would require adequate preparation on the Bangladeshi side, particularly if substantive issues are to be discussed. "Five days are not enough to negotiate even a simple agreement," a diplomatic source told UNB.

"From our side, we are ready to host him anytime," a New Delhi source told UNB, adding that it remained unclear whether any conditions had been attached to the proposed visit.

The source hoped the situation would become clearer soon and that the visit, if confirmed, could take place as planned.

First Tarique-Modi meeting

The proposed meeting is expected to draw close attention in both countries as Dhaka and Delhi seek to reset strained relations.

Tarique's assumption of power has prompted India to reassess its engagement with Dhaka. 

Bilateral ties deteriorated after the Awami League government was ousted in August 2024, particularly over Sheikh Hasina's stay in India and Bangladesh's request for her extradition.

The new BNP government, however, has signalled willingness to maintain constructive ties with India. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman visited New Delhi in April. On 10 August, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi met Tarique in Dhaka.