New Delhi: Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to India still remains uncertain after a Rashtrapati Bhavan press release on Friday (August 21) briefly indicated that preparations were underway for his ceremonial welcome, before being withdrawn. Rahman is not visiting India this weekend, though a later date has not been ruled out.

Asked at the Ministry of External Affairs’ weekly briefing whether Rahman would come to India, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal merely replied on Friday afternoon, “I am not going to say anything right now. If I get any update, I will let you know.”

The confusion was triggered after Rashtrapati Bhavan issued a press release after 2 pm saying that the Change of Guard ceremony scheduled for Saturday, August 22, would not take place because of a “full rehearsal for the ceremonial welcome of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh”. 

The release was subsequently taken down, with the Rashtrapati Bhavan issuing a separate note stating that the August 21 press release “stands withdrawn”.

The episode came against the backdrop of conflicting signals from Dhaka and New Delhi........

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