Tarique Rahman’s first foreign tour bypasses India. It’s a reset, not a rupture

Tarique Rahman, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), addresses supporters at an election rally in Dhaka. (AP file) Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s first foreign tour was always going to be read closely across the region. First trips carry symbolic weight; his choice to begin with Malaysia and China last month has fuelled speculation about realignment in Bangladesh’s foreign policy. The contrast with former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s approach is worth noting. In 2024, Hasina travelled to India twice within a fortnight, first for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s oath-taking ceremony and then for a state visit, before heading to China. That order reflected the old habit of reassuring India first. Rahman has inverted