DHAKA, Bangladesh, February 22 — India has expressed its intent to strengthen bilateral relations with Bangladesh’s newly formed government, Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma said following meetings with senior Bangladeshi officials on Sunday.
Verma met Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Khalilur Rahman, and Minister of State Shama Obaed Islam at the foreign ministry in Dhaka, describing the discussions as an initial exchange of views following the formation of the new government.
“It was my first meeting with the new Foreign Minister and Minister of State after the formation of the new government in Bangladesh. So, it was more of a courtesy meeting and an initial exchange of views,” Verma told reporters.
He noted that India and Bangladesh have maintained high-level communication since the recent elections. On February 13, soon after the election results, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a congratulatory message to Bangladesh’s new Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, and later spoke with him by phone.
Verma also highlighted that on February 17, during the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s new government, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended the event in Dhaka as India’s representative. During the visit, Birla met Prime Minister Rahman and delivered a personal letter from Modi.
“In all these communications, we expressed the desire to build on our historic ties with Bangladesh and strengthen our multifaceted bilateral relations. We also underlined our commitment to support a democratic, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh,” Verma said.
He added that India looks forward to expanding people-centric cooperation across various sectors and emphasized the importance of working together in a constructive, forward-looking manner based on mutual interests and shared benefits.
Earlier, Birla extended congratulations to Prime Minister Rahman and conveyed India’s readiness to support Bangladesh’s efforts to build a democratic and inclusive nation. He also reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening the longstanding partnership between the two neighboring countries.
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