Big diplomatic move? RAW chief meets Bangladesh officials amid Hasina row

The visit was made at the invitation of a Bangladeshi government agency, sources told Dhaka Tribune.

Jain led a four-member delegation during the meeting, which included Ashwin Mukund Kotnis, Rahul Negi and Shaibal Roy Chowdhury, the sources said.

Jain also met Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, according to the report.

The meetings came on the same day that Rahman met Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi.

During the meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Dhaka, Bangladesh urged India to "expedite" the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India since her ouster in 2024, amid renewed tensions between the two countries.

The meeting came days after Hasina delivered a virtual address on August 5 in which she criticised the Rahman-led government, prompting strong objections from Dhaka.

Dhaka seeks faster extradition process

Shahadat Shadhin, Deputy Press Secretary to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, said Dhaka hoped New Delhi would speed up the process of bringing Hasina back to Bangladesh.

"Bangladesh hopes that India will expedite the process of extraditing Sheikh Hasina," Shadhin said after the meeting.

He added that Rahman had stressed the need to create a "conducive environment" to further strengthen India-Bangladesh bilateral relations.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kobir were also present at the meeting.

Dhaka objects to Hasina's India-based remarks

The meeting took place against the backdrop of growing friction over Hasina's August 5 virtual address.

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman accused Hasina of undermining Bangladesh's justice system through her remarks and said India should ensure that its territory was not used for activities that could affect Bangladesh's state institutions.

"On August 5, Ms Hasina has undermined the justice department of Bangladesh, which is a pillar of our nation. The Government of India had allowed her to do that," Rahman told reporters after meeting the Indian envoy.

He said Dhaka expected India to understand its concerns and added that he was "somewhat reassured" following the conversation with the Indian High Commissioner.

India-Bangladesh ties under strain

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka said the two sides had "exchanged views on matters of mutual interest" with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations through a "people-centric approach".

The extradition issue, however, remains a major point of contention between the two countries.

Bangladesh has previously sought Hasina's return to face legal proceedings in the country.

India has received the extradition request but has not publicly committed to a timeline for her handover.