Bangladesh FM's Delhi visit signals thaw in strained bilateral ties

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman will make his first official visit to India on 7 April. The trip marks the first high-level bilateral meeting since the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government took office in February. Relations between the two countries had weakened under the previous interim administration led by Professor Muhammad Yunus. During the visit, Rahman is set to meet Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi. No specific agenda has been publicly outlined, but discussions may cover recent political shifts in Bangladesh and pending agreements. Among the key topics is the 30-year Ganges Treaty, due to expire in December.

Bangladesh has also sought India's help in addressing its energy shortages, requesting additional fuel supplies amid ongoing conflicts in the Gulf. Another unresolved issue is the extradition request for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and others, alongside Dhaka's pending consular access to suspects arrested in India over the Osman Hadi murder case.

Following his India visit, Rahman will travel to Mauritius for the 9th Indian Ocean Conference, scheduled from 10 to 12 April. Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had extended an invitation to Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his family to visit India at a convenient time. The visit comes at a time when both nations are navigating diplomatic and economic challenges. Energy cooperation, treaty renewals, and extradition requests remain on the table. The outcome of these talks could shape future relations between the two neighbours.