16:23
Bangladesh on Monday once again sought the extradition of former premier Sheikh Hasina from India during High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi's first meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, amid fresh strains in ties between the two countries.
The meeting also "covered a range of important bilateral issues", the Bangladesh prime minister's office said in a statement.
According to a post on X by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India's intent to work with the Bangladesh government and people in a "positive, constructive and forward-looking manner".
Rahman also met Bangladesh Home Affairs Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Monday, and Foreign Affairs Minister Khalilur Rahman on Sunday.
The meetings took place amid speculations that Rahman, who has been invited by India to attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi, may skip the event scheduled for September 12-13.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have witnessed strain after Hasina virtually addressed the press on August 5 in New Delhi, where she said she is determined to return home in December to put the country on the "right track" by restoring democracy, notwithstanding the risk of facing the threat of imprisonment or a death sentence.
Bangladesh expressed outrage over the media interaction, saying the event had hurt the sentiments of its people and could adversely affect efforts to improve bilateral ties with India. They described Hasina as an "absconding, convicted genocider". -- PTI
