Top Aide States Bangladesh Seeks New Chapter in Ties with India

(SeaPRwire) –   The foreign affairs adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has stated that Dhaka is determined to avoid a recurrence of “previous errors.”

A senior aide to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has indicated that Dhaka is looking to initiate a fresh phase in its bilateral ties with New Delhi.

Humaiun Kobir, the prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser, noted that Dhaka is eager to prevent repeating “past mistakes.”

“Our diplomatic relations should prioritize people-to-people connections rather than focusing on specific individuals,” Kobir remarked on Monday following a meeting between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma. “This is our objective, and it aligns with India’s interests as well. We intend to ensure this partnership moves past the errors of the past.”

These comments were made just before Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman’s scheduled trip to New Delhi, where Kobir is expected to accompany him.

Verma informed Prime Minister Rahman that India is prepared to revitalize its relationship with Bangladesh using a “forward-looking strategy.”

“This represents a new era in the relationship between Bangladesh and India. Hasina’s Awami League no longer has a presence in Bangladesh; she is now a non-factor,” Kobir added.

The visit by Khalilur Rahman to India will be the first high-level diplomatic mission from Bangladesh since Tarique Rahman was inaugurated as prime minister earlier this year.

Last year, the interim administration in Dhaka called on New Delhi to “extradite” Hasina, who fled to India after being deposed in a 2024 coup.

The former prime minister was widely regarded as maintaining a pro-India position.

“We must establish a new framework for our relationship, as the previous dynamic between Hasina and India is no longer sustainable,” Kobir stated on Monday.

Khalilur Rahman is expected to meet with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Their talks are anticipated to center on energy collaboration amid Middle Eastern instability, the management of shared river waters, and the resumption of visa services, which were halted following the 2025 anti-government protests in Dhaka.

Bilateral relations, which grew tense after Hasina’s flight to India, have been recovering since Tarique Rahman took office in February.

Additionally, India has agreed to supply diesel to Bangladesh to help mitigate a local fuel shortage.