Delhi Working with Dhaka to Revive Bilateral Relations
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. BSS.
Following several months of tension, Bangladesh and India are organizing multiple bilateral meetings next week to reconstruct relations and reactivate stagnant cooperation activities.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that New Delhi has initiated the process of reopening all channels of bilateral engagement with Dhaka, noting that communication is already occurring at the ministerial level.
The Foreign Secretary shared these remarks during a discussion with a visiting delegation of Bangladeshi journalists at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi on Monday.
Vikram Misri said there are more than 40 institutional frameworks between the two countries—including water sharing, trade, border management, security, connectivity, and consular issues—many of which became inactive during the tenure of Bangladesh's interim government following last year's political changes.
Acknowledging that certain challenges had emerged in the bilateral relationship during the recent past, Misri said India is now re-engaging with Bangladesh following the formation of the elected government led by the BNP.
"The schedules for the meetings are being finalized. The results will be evident in the coming weeks and months," he said.
Describing India's perspective toward Bangladesh as constructive, positive, and realistic, he emphasized that the people remain the centerpiece of the bilateral relationship.
Highlighting the depth of the ties, he added that the two nations share a border of over 4,000 kilometers and 54 transboundary rivers. Furthermore, Bangladesh remains India's largest trading partner in the region. "We want to advance and modernize our economic partnership with Bangladesh," he added.
Regarding visa services, he mentioned that India is working toward resuming full visa operations for Bangladeshi citizens, with further progress expected to be announced soon.
Vikram Misri noted that trade issues will be the primary priority of the discussions to ensure mutual benefits for the businesses and citizens of both countries.
Regarding Indian Line of Credit (LOC) projects, Misri said that future funding would be discussed after reviewing the projects prioritized by Bangladesh.
On the subject of water sharing, he informed that the Joint River Commission will continue technical discussions on various unresolved issues, including the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty and the long-awaited Teesta Treaty.
In response to questions about regional diplomacy, Misri stated that Bangladesh is sovereign in managing its relations with other countries. At the same time, he expressed hope that bilateral interests between Dhaka and New Delhi would be preserved.
