FM’s Delhi visit to focus on stability, elevate fruitful bilateral ties: Dhaka

Bangladesh on Tuesday expressed optimism that Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman’s “goodwill visit” to India will lay an important foundation for elevating cooperation between Bangladesh and India to a more fruitful and sustainable level in the future.

“It is hoped that this visit will lay an important foundation for elevating cooperation between Bangladesh and India to a more fruitful and sustainable level in the future,” Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs SM Mahbubul Alam told reporters at the ministry, UNB reports. 

Describing it as a “goodwill visit” to India, he said the Foreign Minister left for New Delhi in the afternoon en route to Mauritius to participate in the Indian Ocean Conference, scheduled to be held from April 10 to 12.

The Foreign Minister is scheduled to hold courtesy meetings with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri during the “stopover” in New Delhi.

In these meetings, the MoFA spokesperson said Bangladesh will emphasise stability and the continued development of bilateral relations based on dignity, mutual trust and respect, and shared interests.

Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Humaiun Kobir is accompanying the Foreign Minister to the Mauritius conference and on the goodwill visit to India, the spokesperson added, without taking any questions.

This will mark the first high-level visit to India since the BNP government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, assumed office, following a period of significant strain in bilateral relations.

“The meeting between the two foreign ministers will be held in New Delhi on April 8,” a senior official told UNB, without elaborating further.

Bangladesh is keen to see bilateral relations return to normalcy on the basis of ‘mutual respect and mutual gains,’ as the ‘goodwill’ trip comes amid increased engagement between the two countries in recent weeks.

Although Dhaka prefers to describe the trip as a ‘goodwill visit,’ officials told UNB that it will involve substantive discussions with New Delhi to ‘better understand current dynamics’ and to raise issues of key importance to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh will seek cooperation in energy sector, reiterate its request for the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as well as seek the swift return of other accused individuals, including prime suspect Faisal Karim Masud who was arrested in Kolkata in connection with the killing of Shahid Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, convenor of the Inqilab Mancha.

“It may take time but we want to see their return as soon as possible,” a senior official told UNB, referring to extradition of accused (Hadi’s murder).

Dhaka will also urge a more positive approach from India regarding the full resumption of visa services, noting that India stands to benefit significantly from medical tourism.

Border management will be another key issue, with Bangladesh emphasising that it does not want to see any loss of life along the border.

The two sides are also expected to discuss energy cooperation, water-sharing of common rivers, and measures to ease trade barriers.

Both sides are now working to retune bilateral relations, a move that could usher in a new phase of cooperation on a range of issues important to both Dhaka and Delhi and lend genuine momentum to the relationship, officials said.

Bangladesh and India share deep-rooted bonds of history, language, culture, and multitude of other commonalities, said an official, noting that in any bilateral meeting, all issues of mutual interest come up for discussion.

The two Foreign Ministers are likely to discuss cooperation in the areas of energy, water sharing, border management, visa, people-to-people ties, he said, adding that a future visit of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India may also come up for discussion at the meeting.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already invited Prime Minister Tarique, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman, their daughter Barrister Zaima Rahman to pay a visit to India at a convenient time.