Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman likely to visit India next week

New Delhi: Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is weighing a two-day visit to India next week after New Delhi invited him for bilateral talks, in a possible effort to arrest a drift in ties between the neighbours.

Two sets of dates are being considered-August 20-21 or August 21-22. If the visit goes ahead, the Indian government could offer Bangladesh projects aimed at supporting its economy, people familiar with the matter said.

ET had reported earlier this week that Rahman was considering a standalone visit to India ahead of the Brics Summit. Bangladesh has been invited to the summit as the current Bimstec chair. India has also invited Asean, the Gulf Cooperation Council, African Union and Grulac as outreach partners for the summit.


"Both sides have been interested in a bilateral visit, but the schedule was an issue. After weighing various schedules, the top officials of both countries have come close to a schedule between August 20 and 25," Bangladesh's English-language daily The Daily Star reported on Saturday.

The visit would be Rahman's first to India since he assumed office in February. The Narendra Modi government could consider support for Bangladesh's energy and power sector during his visit.

Bangladesh needs energy supplies amid the Iran war, which has affected global energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

Water sharing is another major issue. The Ganges Water Treaty expires in December, while the Teesta water-sharing agreement remains unresolved despite efforts dating back to 2011.

Rahman's first foreign visit as prime minister was to Malaysia, followed by China, despite India's invitation for a bilateral visit soon after he assumed office.

People familiar with the matter said hardliners in the current government in Dhaka and the pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami have been trying to influence Rahman's outreach to India. New Delhi, however, is keen to make another effort to engage the Bangladesh prime minister.

A delay in Rahman's India visit could leave bilateral ties at a standstill and risk further deterioration, the people said.