RAW chief in Bangladesh
The chief of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Parag Jain, has arrived in Dhaka on a high-level visit at a moment when Bangladesh-India relations, with both sides facing renewed tensions over ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s continued media appearances from New Delhi.
A government source told the media outlet that Jain led a four-member Indian delegation to Dhaka at the invitation of Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI).
Both Bangladeshi and Indian media outlets have confirmed the visit, but neither Dhaka nor New Delhi has officially disclosed any details about the delegation’s arrival or its agenda.
Jain, who serves as secretary of RAW and also holds the position of special secretary of India’s Special Protection Group (SPG), arrived in Dhaka with Ashwin Mukund Kotnis, Rahul Negi and Shaibal Roy Chowdhury.
The delegation reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Sunday afternoon on an Air India flight, according to reports.
The visit has drawn attention because of its timing. Bangladesh and India are currently experiencing diplomatic strain following a recent press conference by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi, where she criticised developments in Bangladesh after her departure from power.
Dhaka has expressed concern over Hasina’s political activities while staying in India and has continued to seek her extradition.
It is reported that the RAW chief’s visit is part of ongoing efforts to maintain security-level communication between the two neighbours after political changes in Bangladesh.
The visit follows DGFI chief Major General Kaysar Rashid Chowdhury’s trip to New Delhi in March, where he held discussions with India’s military intelligence leadership on reviving bilateral security cooperation.
The latest engagement comes at a time when Bangladesh is pushing India to facilitate the return of Sheikh Hasina, who has been staying in New Delhi since August 2024 when she was toppled in mass uprising.
Dhaka maintains that she should be handed over as a convicted person, while New Delhi has argued that the matter requires consideration under existing legal and humanitarian frameworks.
The RAW chief’s Dhaka visit also coincides with a planned courtesy call between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi held on Monday.
The meeting has clearly said that India would extradite Sheikh Hasina and suspected killers of Shaheed Hadi, a spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha who was killed in Dhaka and subsequently the killers reportedly fled to India.
Dhaka also said that India should respect the verdict of the judiciary, a pillar of a state, and return Sheikh Hasina to face the execution.
However, the visit of the RAW chief, though not officially announced by either side, indicates that security channels between Dhaka and New Delhi remain active despite political differences and public disagreements over Sheikh Hasina’s presence in India.
