External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar engaged in discussions with Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Advisor, Touhid Hossain, on Sunday, focusing on the bilateral relations between the two nations and the BIMSTEC framework.
In a post shared on X, the minister stated, “I met with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain of the Interim Government of Bangladesh. Our discussions centered on enhancing our bilateral relationship and the BIMSTEC initiative.”
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) comprises seven member countries: Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Nepal.
Bangladesh is set to assume the chairmanship of the upcoming BIMSTEC summit, scheduled to be held in Bangkok from April 2 to 4 of this year.
Hossain’s meeting with Jaishankar occurred on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference in Oman, aimed at mitigating tensions in their bilateral relations.
The historically close relationship between India and Bangladesh faced significant challenges following the removal of Sheikh Hasina, who was compelled to seek refuge in India amid widespread anti-government protests in August of the previous year.
In the wake of Hasina’s departure, Nobel Peace laureate Mohammad Yunus assumed power shortly thereafter.
Relations further deteriorated due to incidents of violence against minority Hindus in Bangladesh, which raised considerable alarm in New Delhi. There has been a notable increase in attacks on Hindus and other minority groups, as well as assaults on temples, following Hasina’s ousting, prompting serious concerns from the Indian government.
