India, Bangladesh vow to normalise ties after months of strain

India and Bangladesh on Wednesday agreed to normalise their partnership after more than 18 months of strained ties, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Bangladeshi counterpart Khalilur Rahman deciding to boost cooperation in trade, energy and people-to-people exchanges.

During talks with Jaishankar, Rahman reiterated Dhaka’s request for the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who have been convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal, according to a Bangladeshi readout.

At the same time, both sides agreed that the issue should not affect the broader trajectory of bilateral ties, people familiar with the matter said. Rahman, who arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday, also held wide-ranging talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

This is the first high-level visit to India by a senior member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, which came to power in February following parliamentary elections. “Rahman stated that the recently elected BNP government… would pursue its foreign policy based on ‘Bangladesh First’ and on mutual trust, respect and reciprocal benefit,” the Bangladeshi readout said.

The Bangladeshi side also thanked India for apprehending the suspected killers of student leader Shaheed Osman Hadi. “Both sides agreed that the arrested individuals will be returned to Bangladesh in accordance with the extradition treaty,” it said.

A readout from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) did not mention the Hasina or Hadi issues. Hasina and Kamal have been living in India since fleeing Bangladesh after the collapse of the Awami League government in August 2024 amid a student-led agitation.

Hadi was shot by gunmen in Dhaka last December and later died in Singapore. His killing triggered widespread protests, with some elements attempting to link India to the attack. “We discussed strengthening our bilateral relationship in its various facets… and agreed to remain in close touch,” Jaishankar said in a social media post.

The MEA said Jaishankar reiterated “India’s desire to engage constructively with the new government and further strengthen bilateral ties”. “The two sides agreed to explore proposals for deepening the partnership… Follow-on official meetings are expected soon,” it said.

Jaishankar also assured the Bangladeshi side that visa issuance—especially medical and business visas—would be eased in the coming weeks. Both sides are also expected to focus on boosting trade and energy ties.

Rahman separately met Oil and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Puri and thanked India for supplying diesel, while requesting increased supplies of diesel and fertiliser. “Minister Puri indicated that the Government of India will consider the request favourably,” the Bangladeshi readout said.

Relations between the two countries had deteriorated after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took power following the fall of the Hasina government. Efforts to stabilise ties began after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, along with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, attended the swearing-in of Tarique Rahman as prime minister in Dhaka on February 17.