Indian High Commissioner Meets Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman In Dhaka

Dhaka: High Commissioner Pranay Verma said on Sunday that India is keen to advance dialogue with the new government in Bangladesh. He expressed New Delhi's desire to resume active engagement with Dhaka. High Commissioner Verma was speaking to reporters after meeting Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman in Dhaka, days after Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Prime Minister on February 17.

What did High Commissioner Pranay Verma say?

"In today's meeting with the Foreign Minister, I reiterated our position that we are eager to engage with the new government in Bangladesh," Verma told reporters after the meeting. The meeting was also attended by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid. According to the High Commissioner, she stated, "We want to strengthen cooperation in all areas by working together in a positive, constructive, and forward-looking manner, based on mutual interest and mutual benefit."

Verma described the meeting as a "courtesy call" and "initial discussions." He said this was his first meeting with the Foreign Minister and Minister of State after the new government took office in Bangladesh. Tarique Rahman (60) was sworn in as Prime Minister on February 17 after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a two-thirds majority in the February 12 elections, ending the interim rule of Muhammad Yunus.

What is condition of India-Bangladesh ties?

During Yunus's tenure, relations with India deteriorated and reached their lowest point since 1971. The High Commissioner noted the election results. "You are aware of our recent high-level interactions with Bangladesh," Verma said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's congratulatory message to Tarique Rahman soon after the BNP's victory on February 13. "They also spoke over the phone later that day," Verma said on Sunday.

He also recalled that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, representing India, visited Dhaka to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government and also held a bilateral meeting with the new Bangladesh Prime Minister.