DHAKA, August 10: Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday, in a significant diplomatic engagement as Dhaka and New Delhi seek to manage tensions following former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s media appearance from New Delhi.
The meeting, held at the Bangladesh Secretariat, came days after Hasina addressed journalists in the Indian capital on August 5, prompting a strong reaction from Dhaka and renewed attention to the broader state of India Bangladesh relations.
According to a statement from the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Rahman emphasized the need to create a “conducive environment to further advance the bilateral relations between the two countries.”
Bangladesh has also urged India to expedite its request for Hasina’s extradition, while New Delhi has said it is examining the request in accordance with its legal and judicial procedures.
The meeting was Trivedi’s first with Rahman since taking charge as India’s new High Commissioner to Bangladesh. Trivedi assumed the post in June after succeeding Pranay Kumar Verma. His appointment marked an unusual political choice for the diplomatic position, as he is a veteran Indian politician and former Union minister.
Trivedi stresses dialogue and confidence
Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a Children’s Corner at the Indian Visa Application Centre in Dhaka, Trivedi adopted a conciliatory tone and stressed the importance of direct engagement between the two governments.
“The Prime Minister of Bangladesh… we all respect him a lot. I have listened to his speeches many times, and he talks from his heart. This, I have seen. He is a people’s person. And our Prime Minister is also of the people,” Trivedi said.
He also stressed that dialogue between the two leaders could help resolve outstanding bilateral issues.
“I feel that when… when two leaders meet, a lot of problems are solved. Problems are sorted out when we talk to each other. And I have full confidence that people are together, and a solution will definitely happen… it will happen. I am very confident. There is nothing negative here; everything is positive,” he said.
The Indian High Commission separately said Trivedi had reiterated India’s commitment to working with Bangladesh in a “positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.”
Hasina address deepens diplomatic sensitivity
The meeting followed heightened diplomatic friction over Hasina’s August 5 media interaction in New Delhi, her first major public appearance since leaving Bangladesh in 2024.
During the address, Hasina said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December and restore what she described as the country’s “right track” through democracy. She also acknowledged the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.
Dhaka strongly protested the event, arguing that the opportunity given to Hasina had complicated bilateral efforts to improve relations.
India, however, has sought to distance itself from the event, saying that it had no involvement in organising the media interaction and did not endorse statements made concerning Bangladesh’s administration.
The dispute has added a politically sensitive dimension to an already delicate effort by the two neighbours to rebuild relations following the upheaval that brought down Hasina’s government in 2024.
BRICS invitation adds diplomatic significance
Trivedi’s meeting with Rahman also comes as Bangladesh considers an Indian invitation for the Prime Minister to attend the upcoming BRICS Summit in September.
India has invited Rahman in his capacity as Bangladesh’s prime minister, with Dhaka yet to formally announce its decision on attendance.
The invitation carries additional significance as both countries attempt to expand engagement beyond their immediate political disagreements. Recent diplomatic contacts have included discussions on trade, energy, fuel supplies and people to people relations, reflecting an effort to restore practical cooperation between the two neighbours.
For Dhaka, however, Sheikh Hasina’s continued presence in India and the extradition issue remain among the most sensitive subjects in the bilateral relationship.
For New Delhi, the challenge is to maintain constructive engagement with Bangladesh while managing a politically and legally complicated issue involving a former head of government.
Monday’s meeting therefore offered an important signal that, despite the continuing disagreements, both sides remain committed to diplomatic communication.
The emphasis on a “conducive environment” and a “positive, constructive and forward-looking manner” suggests that dialogue remains the preferred route for managing the difficult issues confronting India and Bangladesh.
At a time when bilateral relations are being tested by political differences, the latest engagement underscores the importance of sustained communication between Dhaka and New Delhi in preventing individual disputes from overshadowing the broader relationship.
