Bangladesh-India Relations: Foreign Secretaries of Both Nations to Meet Today Amid Rising Tensions

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is set to arrive in Dhaka on Monday morning and will meet with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Md Jasim Uddin, today amid growing tensions between the two countries.

The meeting, which had been scheduled in advance, faced confusion at the last minute after Dhaka summoned the Indian envoy and lodged a strong protest. This came after several pro-Hindutva groups attacked the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, the capital of the Indian state of Tripura, accusing Bangladesh of repressing its minority community.

Misri will travel to Dhaka on a special Indian Air Force flight. His talks with Md Jasim Uddin will mark the first high-level meeting between officials from Dhaka and New Delhi since the political shift in Bangladesh following the 5 August changes. This is also Misri’s first visit to Bangladesh as foreign secretary. The meeting will begin with a private discussion between the two foreign secretaries, followed by an official meeting and lunch. Misri is also scheduled to meet with Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain and Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus before returning to New Delhi later in the evening. 

According to diplomatic sources, the foreign secretaries’ meeting is routine, but it carries particular significance given the political developments since August 5, as global attention has been drawn to the situation in Bangladesh, particularly regarding minority issues, even though India has yet to officially recognize the shift in leadership.

Md Touhid Hossain, Bangladesh's foreign adviser, remarked at a seminar on Sunday that the relationship between the two nations has qualitatively changed since August 5. He emphasized that communication and face-to-face discussions are key to overcoming current challenges. He expressed hope for productive talks during the visit.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, confirmed that Misri’s visit would include several meetings, including consultations at the foreign secretary level, which are part of a structured engagement between the two countries.

Officials in Dhaka noted that the strain in relations between the two nations since August 5 is unprecedented, exacerbated by the attack on the Bangladesh mission in Agartala and protests at the Bangladesh mission in Mumbai. Despite these tensions, Bangladesh views the meeting as a positive development, though both sides have kept details of the visit under wraps.

The first director-general-level meeting between Bangladesh’s Border Guard (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) since August 5 has been postponed. The 55th meeting, originally scheduled for November 18-22 in New Delhi, was called off. However, three other official meetings on issues like water sharing, land borders, and land ports have taken place, including technical discussions on Ganga water flow in Dhaka and meetings on land border affairs and land ports in Kolkata and New Delhi.