India grants ministerial status to High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi
Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi formally assumes office on Thursday. Photo: Collected.
India's newly appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, has been granted the status of a central minister. This information was conveyed in a notification issued by the country's Ministry of Home Affairs.
The notification said he has been given the rank of a Union Cabinet Minister as per the Table of Precedence. However, this status applies only to him personally. No amendment is being made to the existing Table of Precedence for this purpose.
The 'Table of Precedence' is the list that determines the priority ranking of various constitutional officeholders, ministers, and important dignitaries at state and official functions in India. It dictates who sits where and what protocol a particular official receives.
The ministry's notification makes it clear that Dinesh Trivedi's status is applicable only for ceremonial and protocol-related events. It does not confer any additional executive powers.
Notably, today (Thursday) Dinesh Trivedi formally assumed his responsibilities by presenting his credentials to President Mohammed Shahabuddin. He was also given a Guard of Honour at the Presidential Palace. This marked the official start of his diplomatic duties in Dhaka.
Immediately after taking charge, he made another important announcement. He informed that general travel visa services would be resumed for Bangladeshi citizens after being suspended for nearly two years.
According to Trivedi, visa applications will start being accepted from June 28. Applications can be submitted at centres in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chattogram, Sylhet, and Khulna. Emergency medical visa services will also continue as before.
The 76-year-old Dinesh Trivedi was appointed as India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh on April 27. He is the first Indian politician to hold this post. Earlier, he served as the Union Railway Minister and held several other important positions. He has succeeded Pranay Kumar Verma.
According to diplomatic circles, the decision to grant special protocol to Dinesh Trivedi carries symbolic significance. Since he is a senior politician and India's first High Commissioner to Bangladesh with a political background, the enhanced status may convey a message about his importance to Dhaka.
