PM Modi Wants Tarique Rahman's India Visit To Be 'Memorable', Says Indian Envoy Amid Strains In India-Bangladesh Ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants his Bangladeshi counterpart Tarique Rahman's proposed visit to India to be "memorable", Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi has said, stressing that closer engagement between the two leaders would benefit people and businesses in both countries.

Trivedi made the remarks on Tuesday as uncertainty persists over Rahman's proposed visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit on Sep 12-13 amid fresh strains in bilateral relations over Dhaka's demand for the extradition of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Modi Assures Rahman Of Appropriate Welcome

Speaking at a reception hosted by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka for leading Bangladeshi business leaders and a visiting Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) delegation, Trivedi said Modi had conveyed the need for the two leaders to meet and assured Rahman of an appropriate welcome during his India visit, news portal tbsnews.net reported.

"Prime Minister Modi just mentioned one thing. We need to meet. And you can tell them on my behalf that you have the prime minister of India's assurance that when the honourable prime minister of Bangladesh visits India, he will have such an honourable reception as he deserves," he said.

Trivedi said Modi wanted Rahman's visit to be "memorable" and emphasised that stronger engagement between the two leaders would benefit both countries.

"Ultimately, the benefit will go to people and businesses. Business people all over the world have a big role to play in bridging this gap," he said.

Trivedi said the two countries should resolve past differences while moving forward.

“I am not telling that you forget the past, but keep the past and sort out the differences of the past. But move on. Don't get stagnant,” he said.

He said differences were natural between “vibrant democracies” and could be addressed through dialogue and engagement.

“We deeply understand the concerns of brothers and sisters of Bangladesh. Definitely, there are concerns. But this is a partnership of equals,” Trivedi said.

Emphasising the importance of mutual trust, he said, “The foundation of any long-lasting relation is mutual and unconditional trust.”

Envoy Calls For Stronger Economic, People-To-People Ties

Highlighting India's “Neighbourhood First” policy, Trivedi said the two countries had experienced “hiccups” but should not allow differences to undermine their broader relationship.

“We have shared history, we have shared culture, and this is where we need to foster,” he said.

Referring to Bangladesh's younger generation, Trivedi said India wanted to work with the “new Bangladesh” to create greater opportunities for its youth.

"This is a new Bangladesh. And this new Bangladesh has the youth. And youth has also gone through a lot of struggles and a lot of sacrifice. So, our objective obviously [is] to have peace and prosperity and the youth must get that opportunity," he said.

Trivedi said the two neighbours shared history, culture and aspirations and should build on these commonalities.

"We don't only share border, we share dreams, we share aspirations and equality," he said, stressing the importance of people-to-people relations.

The envoy also sought greater involvement of businesses in strengthening bilateral ties, saying the private sector had an important role in creating employment and economic opportunities. He urged Indian and Bangladeshi companies to work together to expand trade and investment.

The CII delegation is visiting Dhaka to explore opportunities for expanding trade, investment and industrial cooperation between the two countries.

Trivedi said stronger economic and people-to-people ties could foster greater understanding and support efforts to build a more stable and mutually beneficial relationship.

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Hasina Extradition Issue Strains Bilateral Relations

Rahman's proposed India visit has assumed significance amid a deterioration in ties following Hasina's virtual media interaction from New Delhi on Aug 5.

Bangladesh expressed outrage over the interaction, saying it had hurt the sentiments of its people and could adversely affect efforts to improve bilateral relations.

India's Ministry of External Affairs maintained that it had no role in the media event concerning Hasina and did not endorse anything said at the forum about the Bangladesh government.

Hasina was ousted in August 2024 following violent student-led protests and fled to India. In November 2025, she was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Bangladesh over alleged "crimes against humanity" during the crackdown on protesters.

Dhaka has since sought Hasina's extradition from India, while New Delhi maintains that the request is under examination in accordance with applicable law and established legal procedures.