5 min readApr 9, 2026 07:29 PM IST
First published on: Apr 9, 2026 at 07:29 PM IST
Written by Ankita Sanyal
India-Bangladesh ties entered a fresh phase with Bangladesh’s 13th national election, which brought the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to power this February. During the interim government’s rule, bilateral ties suffered a chill. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman’s visit to Delhi is a sign of Dhaka’s efforts to create ground for sustainable political relations with Delhi.
India’s outreach began even before Bangladesh’s February election. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Dhaka to attend Khaleda Zia’s funeral last December, which was perceived by the BNP as a “gesture of goodwill”. Jaishankar’s submission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal message of condolence to Tarique Rahman signalled New Delhi’s pragmatism at a time when diplomatic relations were at a historic low. Post the BNP’s election win, India expressed its readiness to support Bangladesh’s endeavours to build a democratic, progressive, and inclusive nation. It expressed its commitment to deepening an enduring partnership, inviting Bangladesh’s new prime minister to visit India.
The Bangladesh High Commission has resumed visa services for all categories for Indian citizens. Moreover, the Kolkata-Agartala bus service via Dhaka also resumed after a 17-month hiatus, and the Indian High Commission in Dhaka announced full scholarship opportunities for Bangladeshi students under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations programme for the present academic year. All of these are positive steps towards people-to-people connectivity.
A BNP-led Bangladesh’s foreign policy is framed on the basis of “Bangladesh First” — a principled, balanced diplomacy without overdependence on any one nation. In the first courtesy meeting with Indian high commissioner Pranay Verma, Khalilur Rahman expressed the need for a balanced partnership for the welfare of both countries based on mutual interest. Both agreed to maintain regular and constructive communication to strengthen bilateral relations. It was in this meeting that Verma conveyed the Indian external affairs minister’s invitation to Rahman to visit Delhi.
On the occasion of Bangladesh’s 56th Independence Day, both countries emphasised mutual goodwill and shared interests, underlining the multidimensional nature of bilateral ties. While Bangladesh expressed gratitude for India’s role in the Liberation War, New Delhi reaffirmed its support for Dhaka to pursue justice for Pakistan’s atrocities in 1971.
India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, an initiative signed in 2017 to ensure cost and time-effective uninterrupted diesel supply, ensured fuel supply during the fuel shortage triggered by the Middle East crisis when the first 5,000 tonnes of diesel supply to Bangladesh arrived on March 25, the first major delivery after Hormuz’s closure. As India is considering Dhaka’s official request for an additional 50,000 tonnes over the next four months, and diesel supply via Friendship Pipeline continues.
More notable developments ensued prior to Rahman’s Delhi visit. First, the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s initiative to improve ties with the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Second, Indian Army Chief Upendra Dwivedi’s meeting with Bangladesh High Commissioner to India M Riaz Hamidullah, deliberating on defence cooperation and deeper collaboration for regional peace and security. Third, Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma’s courtesy call with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman to discuss prospects of additional fuel supply via Friendship Pipeline.
Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Advisor Humanyun Kabir’s briefing shortly before the Delhi visit highlighted Dhaka’s optimism towards Delhi. Kabir noted Dhaka’s expectations of advancing relations with India, especially strengthening people-to-people ties between the two countries, beyond one-person-driven engagement. Khalilur’s visit, Kobir added, marks Bangladesh’s willingness to develop a “new relationship with India”, distinct from Hasina’s tenure.
The Khalilur Rahman-led delegation’s visit ahead of his participation in the Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius, framed by Bangladesh as a “goodwill visit,” set the ground for sustainable India-Bangladesh relations. In a delegation-level meeting with Jaishankar, both agreed on “strengthening bilateral ties across various facets” and remain in close contact, besides sharing views on regional and global developments. India assured easing visas for Bangladeshis, prioritising the early introduction of medical visas. New Delhi also agreed to Bangladesh’s request to extradite the suspected killers of Inqilab Mancho convenor Osman Hadi as per the existing extradition treaty, while Bangladesh reiterated its request for the extradition of Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh’s foreign minister also held a meeting with Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Rahman thanked Puri for the diesel supply to Bangladesh and requested boosting supplies of diesel and fertiliser, a request New Delhi stated to consider “readily and favourably .” Rahman also met national security advisor Ajit Doval in this meeting.
A striking tone in these interactions reflects Bangladesh’s optimistic outlook with respect to relations with New Delhi. While there remain contentious issues in bilateral relations, Rahman’s visit signals Bangladesh’s reciprocation of India’s pragmatism with optimism. It is hoped that this fresh start would entail sustained India-Bangladesh bilateral relations, without falling back on past suspicion and restraint.
The writer is a research fellow at the Centre for Peace Studies, New Delhi
