New Delhi: Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi on Tuesday, held consultations with the prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the chief of the Army staff, General Dhiraj Seth, after flying in from Dhaka on an unannounced visit. His meeting with Gen Seth focused on India-Bangladesh bilateral cooperation and measures to strengthen defence ties, adding a military dimension to renewed engagement between the neighbours.
The consultations come as India and Bangladesh seek to stabilize relations after ties deteriorated following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August 2024. Political differences have since intersected with questions over security, border management, trade, connectivity and the resumption of sustained high-level engagement.
The Indian Army said in a post on X that Trivedi’s interaction with Gen Dhiraj Seth “The interaction focussed on issues of India-Bangladesh bilateral cooperation and measures for strengthening defence ties”. No specific new defence agreement or operational arrangement was announced.
Bangladesh’s outgoing high commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, said earlier this month that he had sought to “quietly steady and advance” bilateral ties on the basis of mutual trust, dignity and shared benefits. The external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, also appreciated his contribution to bilateral relations.
Trivedi arrived in New Delhi from Dhaka on Monday night and met Modi at around 1pm on Tuesday, according to diplomatic sources cited in reports. He also met foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, while neither the prime minister’s office nor the Ministry of External Affairs issued a public readout of his meeting with Modi.
Diplomatic sources said the Delhi consultations included Dhaka’s position on a possible visit by prime minister, Tarique Rahman. Trivedi had said days earlier that there was “no need to rush” such a visit and that both sides should undertake proper preparations because issues including trade, commerce and water would require discussion. India had earlier invited Rahman for a bilateral visit as well as to the BRICS outreach session in his capacity as Bimstec chair, as RNA Media reported earlier.
Defence channel remains active
India-Bangladesh defence engagement includes military exchanges, staff talks, training and Exercise Sampriti, aimed at improving interoperability between the two armies. The countries also share a 4,096.7 kilometers land border, with established mechanisms involving the Border Security Force and Border Guard Bangladesh.
Hasina’s continued stay in India remains one unresolved issue. Bangladesh has sought her extradition, while New Delhi says the request is being examined under established legal and judicial procedures.
For India, stable ties with Bangladesh remain important for trade, energy links, border security and connectivity with the northeast. No date has yet been officially announced for a visit by Rahman, leaving his proposed India trip among the next major tests of renewed political engagement.