New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen to meet his Bangladeshi counterpart Tarique Rahman, who would receive an “honourable reception” in New Delhi on his visit, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said in Dhaka Tuesday. He urged both sides to not allow disputes to define the future of the relationship. “I am not telling that you forget the past,” he said. “But keep the past and sort out the difference of the past. But move on. Don’t get stagnant.”
Trivedi said Modi had made clear that he wanted to meet Rahman and that the Bangladesh leader would be received with the respect he deserved. “Prime Minister Modi just mentioned one thing: We need to meet,” Trivedi said at a reception hosted by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. He said Modi wanted Rahman’s visit to be “memorable”.
The remarks come as Dhaka and New Delhi try to reset bilateral ties strained by recent political upheavals in Bangladesh and disagreements over ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has remained in India since fleeing Bangladesh last year.
The comments also appeared aimed at addressing concerns in Dhaka that India has yet to make a sufficiently substantive gesture toward the new government, as reported by ThePrint earlier.
Trivedi further added that India understood Bangladesh’s concerns and viewed the two countries as “partners of equals”. “The foundation of any long-lasting relation is mutual and unconditional trust,” he said.
He also appealed to businesses in both countries to help rebuild confidence. A delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry was visiting Dhaka to explore opportunities for greater trade, investment and industrial cooperation. Trivedi argued that closer commercial ties could help bridge political differences, particularly by creating jobs and opportunities for Bangladesh’s large young population.
India on Tuesday appeared to recalibrate its stance toward Bangladesh, stressing that bilateral ties must be guided by “reciprocity” as Dhaka continues to press New Delhi over the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
“India desires positive, constructive and forward-looking relations with Bangladesh based on mutuality of interests and reciprocity,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a regular briefing. Regarding Dhaka’s extradition requests, he said New Delhi was examining them through its “established processes”.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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