India, Bangladesh Step Up Diplomacy Ahead of Possible November Visit

India and Bangladesh have stepped up diplomatic engagement as the two neighbours work towards arranging a possible visit by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to New Delhi 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. The Indian High Commission in Dhaka said the High Commissioner conveyed his congratulations to Kobir on assuming charge as State Minister, and that the discussion centred on continued cooperation between the two countries for mutually beneficial outcomes for their peoples.

Kobir reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to working with India in a forward-looking and mutually respectful manner on issues of shared interest and for the benefit of both peoples. The two sides also discussed bilateral matters along with regional and international developments, including the recently concluded 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Rahman holds an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral talks, but the visit has yet to take place because of unresolved issues in the relationship. The proposed meeting in New Delhi is now more likely to happen in November, after Bangladesh's newly appointed High Commissioner to India, Asad Alam Siam, settles into the role. Siam is expected to take charge next month.

Rahman is preparing to travel to three countries across October and November. He is scheduled to make bilateral visits to Japan and Saudi Arabia, and will travel to Turkey for the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31). Both Turkey and Saudi Arabia are members of the Mecca Pact, which Bangladesh is keen to join.

An earlier plan for Rahman to visit India in mid-August, when the two sides were discussing specific dates, 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 role in the event and did not endorse the comments made, but Rahman's aides advised him against travelling.

Some foreign policy analysts read these developments as a sign that the current dispensation in Bangladesh is not inclined towards a bilateral meeting with India and is instead focused on other countries. Others argue that, given the strained ties during the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, both India and Bangladesh are working to put the relationship back on track before a high-profile bilateral visit.

In his first foreign trip after taking office as Prime Minister, Rahman visited Malaysia and China. On Monday, he emphasised the further expansion of bilateral trade, investment and development cooperation with China as its outgoing Ambassador, Yao Wen, paid a farewell call on him.

India and Bangladesh had maintained a close relationship until recently, and the two countries share a 4,096-km international boundary.