Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
Bangladesh on Thursday said it sees no obstacle to strengthening ties with India but stressed that progress depends on cooperation from both sides.
“There are no barriers from our side on improving relations with New Delhi. But it requires both sides to work together,” Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain told reporters.
Asked about Dhaka’s request for the extradition of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina, Hossain said, “We wrote once and updates will be shared if another request is sent.” In July, he had said the government would continue pursuing her extradition. Hasina fled to India in August 2024 following a mass uprising, and Bangladesh formally sought her return in a diplomatic note sent to New Delhi in December that year.
On whether BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman would return from his self-imposed exile in the UK ahead of the polls, Hossain said it was his personal choice. “It is his decision when he chooses to come back,” he remarked.