Hasina’s activities ‘principal challenge’ to Tarique’s India visit: Kobir
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State Minister of Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said the “principal challenge” to a planned India visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is the activities of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and India must consider restraining Sheikh Hasina and other “criminal groups” as a norm.
He made these remarks on Monday in response to a question from The Hindu on the sidelines of the “Bay of Bengal Conversation-2026”.
Kobir added that the overall discussion between New Delhi and Dhaka remains “positive”. Dhaka will not permit any terrorist to live in Bangladesh and issue statements against the Indian government.
Highlighting the central hurdle in bilateral relations, he noted, “The principal challenge [to the relationship], and it’s not too much to ask for, is restraining a terrorist [living] in Delhi…Sheikh Hasina, she’s a terrorist. She’s been trying to destabilize a foreign territory sitting in Delhi. There are other criminal groups who are out in India…They are a hindrance to both countries.”
Demanding reciprocal action from New Delhi, he said, “India does not need to facilitate them. Restrain them. That is it. We want some reciprocation. We are not going to let a terrorist from India sit here and speak against the government of India. It sets a bad precedent…The government [of India] is looking at ways to restrain them, which is positive.”
Diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh declined since the July uprising 2024.
Kobir noted that both governments are talking and praised Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi for “doing a good job” and attempting to comprehend ground realities in Dhaka.
Expressing optimism, he remarked, “Hopefully Delhi will be receptive to him, and the opinions he gives on the context in Bangladesh. If they give him a hearing, I am very hopeful [of the relationship going forward].”
He stressed that Dhaka intends to “engage across the board” with New Delhi, reiterating that India remains an “important partner” for Bangladesh in the region. Addressing Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s absence from the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Kobir clarified that the relationship between both nations will stay “bilateral”.
Kobir said, “On the [future bilateral] visit, I am hopeful, very hopeful that it will happen. If you turn the situation around, if a terrorist from India, who killed 2,000 people in India comes to Bangladesh, he will sit here, he will abuse [India], do you think Prime Minister Modi would come here in this situation?”
He expressed confidence that ongoing dialogue will resolve these hurdles and eventually clear the path for Tarique to visit New Delhi.
Beyond bilateral friction, Kobir advocated for a single market across South Asia. He explained that Bangladesh’s updated foreign policy prioritizes “strategic autonomy” and focuses squarely on safeguarding the country’s “national interest”.
He said, “We seek engagement with all based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and national interest. We want strong partnerships, but we also want strategic autonomy. We want cooperation but not dependency.”
