A Rashtrapati Bhavan communication on Friday, August 21, briefly sparked speculation that Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s much-discussed visit to New Delhi could be close.
The email, issued in the afternoon, was titled “No change of guard ceremony this Saturday”. It said the Change of Guard Ceremony at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan would not be held on Saturday, August 22, because of a full rehearsal for the ceremonial welcome of the Bangladesh Prime Minister, according to News18.
The wording appeared to suggest that Rahman’s visit to India was imminent. However, Rashtrapati Bhavan later withdrew the communication, adding to uncertainty over the proposed visit.
“A press release issued on the subject ‘No change of guard ceremony this Saturday’, which was issued on August 21, 2026, stands withdrawn,” the later statement said.
Is Tarique Rahman’s India visit actually confirmed?
No official confirmation of Rahman’s visit to New Delhi has been issued. The two Rashtrapati Bhavan announcements, however, have renewed speculation around the visit, which has been under discussion between India and Bangladesh.
The proposed trip has reportedly faced hurdles, with Dhaka seeking the creation of “propitious” conditions before the visit. Among the issues reportedly raised by Bangladesh are the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and those accused of killing radical student leader Osman Hadi.
What has Bangladesh said about the proposed visit?
Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kobir said the visit would depend on an environment based on “mutual trust” and “confidence” between the two countries.
Kobir said Dhaka would take a positive approach towards attending the BRICS Summit only if a suitable environment was created through consensus between India and Bangladesh.
He also stressed that Bangladesh would not rush into a high-level visit if doing so went against its national interest.
“There is no justification for rushing into a top-level visit by going beyond the national interest,” Kobir said, while describing reports about Rahman’s proposed New Delhi trip as “baseless and assumption-driven.”
