Touhid-Jaishankar meeting in Muscat: Dhaka to urge New Delhi to avoid escalating tensions

Touhid-Jaishankar Meeting in Muscat: Bangladesh to Urge India to Ease Tensions

Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Advisor, Md Touhid Hossain, is set to meet Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) 2025, scheduled for February 16–17 in Muscat, Oman. The conference, organized by the India Foundation in collaboration with Oman’s Foreign Ministry, serves as a key platform for regional dialogue.

Diplomatic sources suggest that Bangladesh may use this meeting to convey concerns over growing strains in bilateral relations and urge India to take steps to de-escalate tensions. This will be the second meeting between Touhid Hossain and S. Jaishankar in five months, following their discussions in New York during the UN General Assembly in September last year.

Tensions between the two neighbors have escalated in recent months. The political landscape in Bangladesh shifted significantly after the mass student-led uprising on August 5 led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government. In the aftermath, Dhaka and New Delhi have engaged in diplomatic efforts to normalize relations, including a visit by Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Dhaka in December.

However, several incidents have further strained ties, including attacks on Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions in Agartala and Kolkata and the circulation of inflammatory narratives in Indian media. Additionally, Sheikh Hasina, who remains in India, has continued to make statements that Bangladesh perceives as provocative. Dhaka has officially requested India to restrain her, but New Delhi has yet to respond.

The situation worsened after a virtual speech by Sheikh Hasina on February 5, which triggered public outrage in Bangladesh. Protests erupted, leading to the vandalism and destruction of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic residence in Dhanmondi. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry subsequently summoned the Indian Acting High Commissioner in Dhaka, while India reciprocated by summoning Bangladesh’s Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi.

Against this backdrop, Bangladesh is expected to use the upcoming Muscat meeting to press India on several key issues. Dhaka will urge New Delhi to refrain from interfering in Bangladesh’s internal affairs, prevent fugitive criminals in India from destabilizing Bangladesh, and put an end to border killings. Additionally, Bangladesh will call for both countries to adhere to agreed-upon border policies and halt the construction of barbed wire fences along the zero line.

Despite these tensions, officials maintain that Bangladesh remains committed to strong ties with India. At the meeting, Dhaka will reaffirm its willingness to maintain positive relations while cautioning New Delhi against actions that could further strain bilateral ties.