The “principal challenge” in planning Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to India is the activities of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and leaders of her party who are currently staying in the country, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said in an interview with Indian newspaper The Hindu on Monday.
Kobir also said the activities of Awami League leaders, whose party’s activities are currently banned, would not be helpful to India.
He made the remarks in response to a question from The Hindu on the sidelines of the “Bay of Bengal Conversation-2026”, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) in Dhaka.
India needs to understand the “challenges of a newly elected government” in Bangladesh, the state minister said.
Calling on India to restrain Sheikh Hasina and her associates, Kobir said, “The visit will be bilateral, but there are some challenges, and we will overcome them through discussions. We are not asking for too much regarding the principal challenge. Sheikh Hasina and her associates are staying in Delhi, and they are sitting in Delhi and trying to destabilise another country. This is not benefiting India either.”
Kobir accused Hasina of being responsible for the killing of nearly 2,000 Bangladeshi citizens during the suppression of the July-August 2024 uprising and described her as “a terrorist”.
The people of Bangladesh need a clear break with the past, as they had sacrificed their lives in the process of ousting Hasina’s government, which had remained in power for more than 15 years.
The state minister, however, said discussions with India were ongoing and that Dhaka welcomed the talks.
Emphasising that relations with India were a priority for Dhaka, Kobir said, “We are seeing some positive signs, as India is trying to restrain them. This is the normal practice between the two countries. If they (Hasina and her associates) are kept under control, there will be no problem in the bilateral relationship.”
About the role of Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi in this regard, Kobir said the prime minister’s visit would take place at a favourable time and that he was hopeful about it.
“The Prime Minister has never said that he will not visit India,” he said.
