Rashtrapati Bhavan announces Tarique Rahman's visit, then quickly recalls statement
What's the story
The Rashtrapati Bhawan has withdrawn its official statement on Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's upcoming visit to New Delhi less than an hour after its release. Around 2:00pm, it shared, "The Change of Guard Ceremony at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan will not take place this Saturday (August 22, 2026) due to the full rehearsal for the ceremonial welcome of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh." The notice was later recalled. No official comment was immediately available.
PM
Rahman's proposed visit will be his first trip
Rahman's proposed visit will be his first trip to the country since taking office in February.
Rahman's government has sought good relations with India since coming to power but tensions remain over the extradition of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Last week, Bangladesh signaled that a more favorable diplomatic environment was needed for the trip after Hasina addressed a media interaction in Delhi, a move condemned by Dhaka.
Tensions
Diplomatic tensions between India, Bangladesh
On Tuesday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said the possibility of the visit was slim unless an appropriate environment based on "mutual trust" was created, along with a "dignified invitation" from New Delhi.
"The possibility of the Prime Minister visiting India ahead of the upcoming BRICS Summit remains slim unless an appropriate environment is created based on consensus between the two countries on specific issues and a dignified invitation," he said.
India
Modi wants Rahman's India visit to be 'memorable'
After the comments, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants his Bangladeshi counterpart''s proposed visit to India to be "memorable," stressing that closer ties between the two leaders would ultimately benefit people and businesses in both countries.
He said the two countries should address past differences while looking ahead.
"I am not telling that you forget the past, but keep the past and sort out the differences...But move on. Don't get stagnant," he said.