Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma met Bangladesh’s new Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman in Dhaka on Sunday and extended an invitation from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to visit India early, reflecting New Delhi’s efforts to rebuild bilateral ties.
This move came less than a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited his Bangladeshi counterpart, Tariq Rahman, to visit India. India expressed its intention to repair relations, which declined to their lowest levels in decades under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
During the meeting with Khalilur Rahman, Verma expressed the “Indian government’s readiness to work closely with the new Bangladeshi government to enhance bilateral cooperation,” according to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka.
Verma extended Jaishankar’s invitation to Khalilur Rehman “to pay an official visit to New Delhi at an early date,” the statement said.
The statement added that Khalilur Rahman “indicated Bangladesh’s intention to build a forward-looking and balanced partnership based on common interest for the benefit of the peoples of both countries.”
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka said on social media that Verma “conveyed India’s desire to engage with the new Bangladesh government and strengthen their people-centred cooperation in all areas, by working together in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner, on the basis of common interest and mutual benefit.”
Verma also met with Bangladesh’s new Minister of State for External Affairs, Shama Ubaid Islam, and discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry statement said that the two sides agreed to maintain regular and constructive communication to enhance bilateral relations.
Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen and Pakistani High Commissioner Imran Haider also met with Khalilur Rehman on Sunday. Yao conveyed China’s firm support for Prime Minister Tariq Rahman’s “Bangladesh First” policy and invited the Foreign Minister to visit Beijing.
Khalilur Rahman stressed Bangladesh’s priority in enhancing regional cooperation for the benefit of all South Asian countries.
BNP Chairman Tariq Rahman took office at a time when the country faces serious challenges, including restoring political stability, rebuilding investor confidence and reviving the economy after the turmoil following the student-led uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024.
The inclusion of Khalil Rahman in the government was considered surprising, as the former diplomat was serving as National Security Advisor in the interim government led by Yunus. He played a key role in negotiating Bangladesh’s trade deal with the United States.
