India’s Dhaka envoy meets Bangladesh junior foreign minister, signals Tarique Rahman’s India visit at ‘mutually convenient time’

New Delhi: India-Bangladesh ties remain on a positive track, with both sides signalling a willingness to maintain engagement and work towards strengthening bilateral relations. The latest indications came as Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi met the Bangladesh state minister for foreign affairs, Humaiun Kobir, in Dhaka.

Trivedi described the overall state of Bangladesh-India relations as “absolutely positive” and said the Bangladeshi prime minister, Tarique Rahman, will visit India at a mutually convenient time, according to UNB. He said India’s invitation for the visit remained open and there was no need to rush the process.

Trivedi made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the Bangladesh ministry of foreign affairs after meeting Kobir. He said both sides needed to give the process due time while expressing confidence that further engagement between the both prime ministers would take place when a mutually convenient opportunity arises.

Trivedi also acknowledged that political considerations exist on both sides but said these should not overshadow the broader relationship. He said work was already in progress and expressed optimism about the prospects for further engagement between the countries.

Trivedi congratulated Kobir on his appointment and said he conveyed greetings to the Bangladeshi prime minister through the state minister.

The talks covered both bilateral issues as well as regional and international matters, including recently concluded 81^st United Nation general assembly in New York. Kobir also showed interest on working with India in a forward-looking and mutually respectful manner on issues of mutual interest.

The latest developments come amid signals from Bangladesh that it is also prepared to strengthen ties with India. On Monday, member of the Bangladesh parliament, Nurul Islam Moni told ANI that Dhaka expected India, as a major neighbouring country, to extend its hand towards strengthening bilateral relations.

Moni’s remarks came as Bangladesh sought greater engagement with India on bilateral agreements and other issues affecting relations between the two neighbours. His comments indicated Dhaka’s readiness to work towards stronger bilateral ties while expecting reciprocal engagement from New Delhi.

Bangladesh’s outgoing high commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, also stressed the importance of keeping communication open between the two countries. Speaking to ANI on September 26, he described the relationship as “organic” and rooted in mutual interdependence, while saying differences in views and approaches should not prevent continued dialogue.

He said geographical proximity and strong people-to-people links make continued engagement important.

The latest exchanges come amid differences between India and Bangladesh over several bilateral matters, including Dhaka’s request for India to extradite former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024. Despite the differences, both sides have signalled a willingness to keep diplomatic channels open, maintain dialogue and pursue further high-level engagement.