India has officially appointed Dinesh Trivedi as its new High Commissioner to Bangladesh, replacing Pranay Verma, according to an announcement by the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday (April 27, 2026).
Trivedi is expected to assume his responsibilities in Dhaka shortly. His appointment is notable, as it comes after a long period during which career diplomats typically held the position, making him one of the few political figures to be assigned such a role in Bangladesh.
The outgoing High Commissioner, Pranay Verma, who has been serving in Dhaka since September 2022, has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to Belgium, with concurrent accreditation to the European Union.
At 75, Dinesh Trivedi brings extensive political experience. He previously served as India’s Minister of Railways under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while representing the All India Trinamool Congress. In 2012, he resigned from the post after proposing a passenger fare hike in the railway budget, which drew criticism from his party leadership.
Trivedi has also held the position of Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and has been a member of both houses of India’s Parliament — the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha — representing constituencies in West Bengal and Gujarat, respectively.
In February 2021, he resigned from the Trinamool Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party the following month.
His appointment comes at a time when India-Bangladesh relations continue to be of strategic and diplomatic importance in the region.
