Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi on Sunday said a meeting between Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi could help address the current strains in bilateral ties. His remarks came amid speculation that Rahman may skip the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 despite being invited by India.
Ties between the two neighbours have come under fresh pressure after former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina virtually addressed the press in New Delhi on August 5 and said she was determined to return home in December to put the country on the “right track” by restoring democracy, despite the risk of imprisonment or a death sentence. Bangladesh reacted sharply, saying the event hurt the sentiments of its people and could affect efforts to improve ties with India.
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Speaking at an event at a visa application centre in Dhaka, Trivedi said, “When two leaders meet, a lot of problems are solved. I have full confidence [about the problem resolution through the meeting].” He added, “We all respect Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman a lot. He is a people’s person, and our PM is also a people’s person.” He also said, “I am very confident. There is nothing negative. Things remain positive.” Trivedi, a senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, is the first politician to serve as India’s high commissioner to Bangladesh with the status of a Union minister. He arrived in the country on June 12 and is scheduled to meet Rahman on Monday.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on August 7 that it had no role in Hasina’s media event and does not endorse anything said there about the Bangladesh government. Hasina’s government was toppled in August 2024 after violent student-led street protests, forcing her to flee to India. In November 2025, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced her to death in absentia for alleged “crimes against humanity” over her government’s crackdown on protesters in 2024. Since that verdict, Dhaka has been urging New Delhi to extradite her. The current government in Bangladesh, led by Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has said Hasina will have to surrender and face the law if she returns.
India’s ties with Bangladesh had turned frosty under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus that succeeded Hasina’s Awami League, especially over her extradition, border issues and Dhaka’s foreign policy shift towards China. Relations saw a cautious and uneasy reset after Rahman’s government took office in February, but the August 5 press interaction has emerged as a fresh flashpoint. On Sunday, the Prothom Alo newspaper reported that it was “almost certain” that Rahman would skip the BRICS summit as tensions mounted again over Hasina’s virtual press interaction in New Delhi. Quoting unidentified sources, the newspaper said, “The recent situation virtually shut the possibility of the premier’s participation in BRICS outreach.”
On Saturday, Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed also warned that India could not at the same time play the “Hasina card” and seek friendly ties with Bangladesh. “We will maintain our relationship with you (India). But that does not mean you can play the Hasina card and still want a friendly relationship with Bangladesh,” he said. Trivedi’s remarks came against this backdrop, as uncertainty remained over Rahman’s visit to New Delhi and the future course of bilateral ties.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
