The possibility of Prime Minister Tareque Rahman’s visit to Delhi has been called off for now. The foreign ministry has formally stated that “a favorable environment needs to be created for this visit.”
Foreign ministry spokesperson A K M Shahidul Karim disclosed this at a press briefing in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon.
Indian media had earlier suggested Tareque Rahman might travel to India for a two-day visit in the middle of next week.
Foreign ministry spokesperson A K M Shahidul Karim said: “We have requested Indian authorities to promptly return Sheikh Hasina and other fugitive criminals in accordance with the bilateral extradition treaty, and to hand over to Bangladesh the killers accused in the murder of martyr Sharif Osman Hadi. Bangladesh awaits their response.”
It should be noted that the Speaker of India’s Lok Sabha, who attended Tareque Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony as prime minister, had extended a formal invitation to Tareque Rahman to visit India on behalf of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
There was also a second invitation from India — to attend the BRICS summit to be held in New Delhi this September, where Prime Minister Tareque Rahman was invited in his capacity as current chairman of BIMSTEC.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman had recently disclosed these invitations following a meeting between the Indian High Commissioner and the prime minister, saying no decision had been made on the matter at that time.
In the meantime, reports citing government sources in both countries had emerged suggesting Prime Minister Tareque Rahman might travel to Delhi in the third week of August.
At a brief briefing in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon, foreign ministry spokesperson A K M Shahidul Karim outlined the government’s position on the prime minister’s potential India visit.
He said that regarding Prime Minister Tareque Rahman’s potential visit to India, “both countries have been in contact with each other for several weeks.”
“However, the manner in which Sheikh Hasina — convicted of crimes against humanity by the International Crimes Tribunal — spoke at a public press conference in New Delhi on August 5 has damaged the environment for this process. We have made our position on this clear. We believe a favorable environment needs to be created for this visit.”
Shahidul Karim said: “We have requested Indian authorities to promptly return Sheikh Hasina and other fugitive criminals in accordance with the bilateral extradition treaty, and to hand over to Bangladesh the killers accused in the murder of martyr Sharif Osman Hadi. Bangladesh awaits their response.”
“At this time, the government reaffirms that we will continue our ‘Bangladesh First’ policy of developing friendly bilateral relations with our neighbors and all other countries, based on sovereign equality, national dignity, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, and mutual interest.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report