Rashtrapati Bhavan retracts announcement on Bangladesh PM's ceremonial welcome
Rashtrapati Bhavan withdrew a statement cancelling Saturday's ceremony for a Bangladesh PM welcome rehearsal, leaving visit dates unclear.
New Delhi witnessed an unusual administrative flip-flop on Friday when Rashtrapati Bhavan first announced the cancellation of Saturday's Change of Guard ceremony, citing a full rehearsal for the ceremonial welcome of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and then withdrew the communique just an hour later.
The initial press release, titled 'No change of guard ceremony this Saturday', stated the event would not take place on August 22, 2026, due to the scheduled rehearsal. Since full dress rehearsals typically occur a day before such ceremonies, the announcement was widely read as a formal confirmation of Rahman's impending visit. However, a subsequent statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan declared the earlier release "stands withdrawn," without offering any explanation.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) declined to comment on the matter. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "I have nothing to say right now," when asked about the visit. In Dhaka, the Bangladesh Prime Minister's Press Secretary AAM Saleh told Reuters that "no decision has yet been made on the visit," adding that the government was awaiting India's response on the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other fugitives.
The confusion comes amid strained bilateral ties following the August 2024 ouster of Sheikh Hasina, who has been in India since then. Dhaka has repeatedly sought her extradition, where she faces a death sentence. A public audio interaction by Hasina on August 5, marking two years of her ouster, further angered Bangladesh and cast a shadow over the proposed visit.
Sources indicated that New Delhi had proposed August 21 as a possible date for a stand-alone bilateral visit, later extending the window to August 25, but no finality has been reached. Dhaka has insisted that a "propitious environment" must be created for the visit, a reference to the Hasina issue. While India maintains the extradition request is "being examined," it has emphasised a forward-looking relationship based on "mutuality of interests and reciprocity."
Despite the friction, both sides are reportedly keen to avoid jeopardising the relationship over a single issue. Discussions are said to cover connectivity, energy, water sharing, infrastructure, and border management. India has also invited Rahman to attend the BRICS leaders' summit next month, with the possibility of Bangladesh's newly elected BNP President, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, attending in his stead.