No rush for PM's visit to India: Humaiun

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir today said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will visit India at an appropriate time following progress in bilateral discussions, with Bangladesh's national interests remaining the foremost priority.

"We will engage with India. We want a positive relationship. But it has to be done by prioritising Bangladesh's national interests," he told journalists after paying homage to the Liberation War martyrs at the National Memorial in Savar.

Kobir, who was appointed state minister for foreign affairs yesterday, said Dhaka wants to maintain a positive and effective relationship with New Delhi as a close neighbour, but stressed that such engagement cannot come at the expense of Bangladesh's interests.

"We want a positive relationship with India. Why wouldn't we? They are our neighbours. We should have a working relationship," he said.

"Not only with India, but with no country can we do anything by compromising our national interests," he added.

Asked about the timing of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's possible visit to India, Kobir said there was no reason to rush a visit at the head-of-government level.

"If we reach an agreement based on our national interests tomorrow, we can go [to India] next week, or the week after. There is no rush here," he said.

He said a prime ministerial-level visit requires adequate preparations, substantive discussions and necessary groundwork between the two sides.

The state minister said both sides need to create the necessary groundwork before a meeting between the heads of government, adding, "We are doing exactly that."

On the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Kobir said Bangladesh has an extradition treaty with India and the matter remains part of ongoing engagement between the two countries.

He said Hasina fled to India following the July 2024 mass uprising and judicial proceedings in several cases against her have already concluded, while a number of other cases remain pending.

"So, these are not new conditions or a new kind of engagement; these are ongoing issues," he said.

Kobir said bringing back Hasina and other alleged offenders who fled to India remains an issue linked to the expectations and sentiments of the Bangladeshi people.

"There are more criminals who have fled to India. This is a natural demand of the people of Bangladesh and a matter of their sentiment. We want to engage with India by giving priority to this process," he said.