New Delhi: Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain on the margins of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference in Muscat Sunday, as ties between the two neighbouring countries continue to remain troubled.
“Met Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain of the Interim Government of Bangladesh. Conversation was focused on our bilateral relationship, as also on BIMSTEC,” said Jaishankar in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Hossain underlined the importance of initiating discussions on the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty, and also sought Jaishankar’s support in convening a meeting of the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Standing Committee, according to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangtha, the state-run news agency.
According to Dhaka’s readout, both sides recognised bilateral challenges and discussed the necessity to work together to address those.
The Director Generals of India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will meet in New Delhi from 17 February to 20 February, at the 55th borders conference.
Met Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain of the Interim Government of Bangladesh.
Conversation was focused on our bilateral relationship, as also on BIMSTEC.
🇮🇳 🇧🇩 pic.twitter.com/1iVIdniHZy
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 16, 2025
According to Dhaka’s readout of the Jaishankar-Hossain meet, both sides expressed their optimism that the conference will address border security issues between the two countries.
This is the second meeting between Jaishankar and Hossain, since the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government on 5 August, 2024. Jaishankar and Hossain met on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly session in September 2024.
The meeting comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his concerns about the situation in Bangladesh with US President Donald J. Trump during their meeting in Washington D.C. last Thursday.
“On what we make of the statement on Bangladesh, well, just to share with you that this was a subject that was discussed between the two leaders. And the Prime Minister shared his views and, indeed, his concerns with regard to recent developments in Bangladesh and how India sees the situation,” said Vikram Misri, India’s foreign secretary during a special briefing after Modi’s meeting with Trump.
The Indian foreign secretary added that New Delhi hopes the situation in Bangladesh will “move forward in a direction” where ties are constructive and stable.
Most recently Dhaka has taken exception to two speeches made by Hasina a few weeks ago, addressed to her Awami League party supporters. Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, called on India to prevent its territory from being used to “create instability” in the South Asian country—a reference to Hasina’s addresses.
On 5 February, protesters in Dhaka destroyed a portion of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence at Dhanmondi 32, which was condemned by India, given Rahman’s role in Bangladesh’s freedom struggle.
Dhaka’s Acting High Commissioner was summoned by New Delhi on 7 February, and through him India urged the interim government in Bangladesh to stop conflating Sheikh Hasina with India.
New Delhi accused Dhaka of blaming India for internal governance issues.
The fraying of ties comes after Foreign Secretary Misri’s visit to Bangladesh last December, which was seen as an attempt to reset the relationship between New and Dhaka. For India, the attacks on minorities, treatment of Indian businesses and border security have been major irritants in the ties.
Apart from the meeting with Hossain, Jaishankar held bilateral talks with the foreign ministers of Maldives, Oman, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bhutan, Iran, and Brunei Darussalem Sunday. He delivered the keynote address at the Indian Ocean Conference, organised by India Foundation, a New Delhi based think-tank and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Also Read: An open letter to Prof Muhammad Yunus