India stated on 15 September that it has not received any information from Bangladesh regarding Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's proposed bilateral visit to the country. Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the announcement during a biweekly media briefing in New Delhi, responding to ongoing media reports concerning potential diplomatic discussions.
"On the visit of Bangladesh prime minister, we have not heard anything on this. As and when we have something to update you, we will get back to you," Jaiswal told reporters in New Delhi. His remarks followed reports indicating that Dhaka and New Delhi were exploring a bilateral trip.
Elaborating on diplomatic exchanges, Jaiswal confirmed that India had previously extended two separate invitations to the Bangladeshi leader. He noted that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman received an invitation for a dedicated bilateral visit alongside a separate invitation related to the BRICS summit.
During the same briefing, when questioned about whether New Delhi had submitted a formal request to import hilsa fish from Bangladesh, the spokesperson stated that he lacked an immediate update on the matter.
Earlier on 10 September, Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir addressed queries regarding regional summits, stating there was no scope for sending a government representative to the BRICS summit. He clarified that the invitation had been extended to the BIMSTEC chair rather than the prime minister directly.
Why it matters
Clarifying the status of high-level bilateral visits and summit invitations is vital for understanding the current trajectory of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh.