New Delhi: Confusion over Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to India increased on Friday after Rashtrapati Bhavan withdrew a notice about cancelling Saturday’s Change of Guard ceremony.
The ceremony was earlier scheduled to be cancelled to allow a full rehearsal for Rahman’s ceremonial welcome. The proposed visit is linked to the BRICS summit, which will be held on September 12 and 13.
The new Rashtrapati Bhavan notice said: “Press release issued on the subject ‘No Change of Guard Ceremony this Saturday’, which was issued on August 21, 2026, stands withdrawn.”
The notice was issued nearly an hour after the President’s House had said the weekly ceremony would be cancelled to make arrangements for the Bangladesh prime minister’s welcome, as reported by ETV Bharat.
Confusion Over Ceremony Notice
The earlier notice had said: “The Change of Guard Ceremony at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan will not take place this Saturday (August 22, 2026) due to the full rehearsal for the ceremonial welcome of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.”
The withdrawal has raised questions about Rahman’s planned visit to New Delhi. The visit comes at a time when relations between India and Bangladesh are strained over Dhaka’s demand for the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Rahman’s possible meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the BRICS summit could be important for ties between the two countries.
Dhaka Seeks Trust, Dignified Invitation
India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, had earlier spoken positively about the proposed visit at a reception in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Referring to Modi’s view, Trivedi said: “Prime Minister Modi just mentioned one thing. We need to meet.”
He also said Modi wanted Rahman’s visit to be “memorable”.
However, Bangladesh has continued to remain cautious. Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir told the state-run BSS news agency on Thursday that the chances of Rahman attending the summit remained “slim”.
Kobir said the visit would be possible only if New Delhi created an atmosphere of “mutual trust” and extended a “dignified invitation”.
