Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned to the political spotlight on August 5 through a virtual address from New Delhi, coinciding with the second anniversary of the 2024 student-led uprising that forced her from office. The event immediately attracted attention in both India and Bangladesh, leading to fresh diplomatic discussions between the two neighbouring countries.
Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen on Sunday said that, in her opinion, madrasas “should not exist”, alleging that some of these educational institutions were producing “jihadis” and witnessing cases of child abuse.
A diplomatic controversy has emerged between India and Bangladesh after Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, an adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, returned from Delhi airport without entering India, alleging that he was “humiliated” during an immigration check.
Bengali actor and former Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmaker Nusrat Jahan is expected to depose before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at its CGO Complex office in Salt Lake, Kolkata.
In a surprise move, the government is reportedly set to appoint former railway minister and veteran politician Dinesh Trivedi as high commissioner to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister, Khalilur Rahman, arrived in New Delhi on April 7 for a three-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh.
Following a landslide victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Tarique Rahman was officially sworn in as Prime Minister on February 17, 2026, ending his 17-year exile and signaling a transformative political shift. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a formal congratulatory message and held preliminary discussions with Rahman to stabilize ties, he was unable to attend the ceremony in person due to high-profile bilateral commitments with French President Emmanuel Macron and a major AI summit in New Delhi. Represented by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, India’s participation underscores a pragmatic effort to reset the “enduring friendship” with Dhaka and maintain regional stability under the new administration.
In his farewell address, he also stressed Bangladesh’s strong connections to India’s ‘Seven Sisters’, the Northeastern states, but skipped any direct mention of India itself.
In his speech, he also emphasised protecting women’s rights, curbing violence and trafficking, and tackling child marriages.
