Rashtrapati Bhavan withdraws communique on rehearsal for B'desh PM visit

A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique on Friday announcing the cancellation of Saturday's Change of Guard ceremony to accommodate the full rehearsal of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's ceremonial welcome was withdrawn, adding a fresh layer of confusion to the status of the high-profile visit.

The withdrawal highlighted the ongoing diplomatic friction between New Delhi and Dhaka ahead of the upcoming BRICS summit on September 12-13.

Relations have been strained over Bangladesh's recent demand for the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

A fresh communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said "press release issued on the subject 'No Change of Guard Ceremony this Saturday', which was issued on August 21, 2026, stands withdrawn." This communique came an hour after the President's house had announced that it was cancelling the weekly ceremony for the full rehearsal of the welcome planned for the visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister.

"The Change of Guard Ceremony at the ...