India, Bangladesh Work Towards Ties Reset Ahead Of Tarique Rahman Visit
Both countries are discussing a possible November bilateral visit.
India and Bangladesh have stepped up diplomatic engagement amid efforts to facilitate a proposed visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India in November. India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, held a courtesy meeting with Bangladesh's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Tuesday as both sides discussed continued cooperation and bilateral matters.
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka said Trivedi congratulated Kobir on assuming charge as the State Minister. The discussion focused on continued cooperation between the two neighbouring countries and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes for their people. Kobir also reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to working with India in a forward-looking and mutually respectful manner on issues of shared interest.
The two sides also discussed bilateral issues as well as regional and international developments, including the recently concluded 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The diplomatic engagement comes as India and Bangladesh seek to address issues affecting their relationship before a possible high-level meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahman in New Delhi.
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Rahman has an invitation from Modi to visit India for bilateral talks, but the proposed visit has not taken place amid unresolved issues between the two countries. He is scheduled to travel to Japan and Saudi Arabia on bilateral visits and to Turkey for the 31st UN Climate Change Conference, COP31, during October and November. The proposed India visit is now more likely to take place in November, after Bangladesh's newly appointed High Commissioner to India, Asad Alam Siam, takes charge next month.
The India visit was initially expected in mid-August, with Dhaka and New Delhi discussing possible dates. However, the plan did not materialise after Bangladesh objected to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressing the media at an event organised by the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia in New Delhi. India clarified that it had no involvement in the event and did not endorse the comments made there, but Rahman's aides subsequently advised him against travelling to India.
India and Bangladesh share a 4,096-km international boundary and have maintained close ties in several areas. The latest diplomatic contacts come after a period of strained relations during the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. While some foreign policy analysts have viewed Bangladesh's engagement with other countries as a sign of its current priorities, others have pointed to the recent India-Bangladesh contacts as efforts to stabilise bilateral ties ahead of a potential high-profile visit by Rahman.
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