Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is scheduled to visit India next week, according to several media reports. This will be the first official visit by a senior Bangladeshi politician since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office following the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s landslide win in the 12 February election.
The visit comes as both countries work to rebuild ties after tensions under the caretaker government led by Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus. It is expected to reset the relationship between the two neighbours.
Agenda
Rahman is set to hold meetings in New Delhi before traveling to Mauritius to attend the Indian Ocean Conference, organized by the Mauritian government. Reports say he will meet India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on 8 April.
A major focus will be Bangladesh’s worsening energy situation amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, which has disrupted the global energy market. India supplied high-speed diesel to Bangladesh on 10 March to meet urgent fuel needs. The discussions are also expected to include renewing the Ganga Waters Treaty, which will mark 30 years in December. The treaty, signed in December 1996, governs the sharing of Ganga waters.
Rahman previously served as National Security Adviser under the interim Yunus government and visited India in November 2025 to meet Ajit Doval in New Delhi.
India-Bangladesh Relations
Relations between New Delhi and Dhaka deteriorated after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in 2024 and the subsequent violence against Hindus, a significant minority in Bangladesh. India was concerned that Hasina’s removal allowed anti-India groups to gain influence, amid rising hostility and attacks against the Indian community.
Incidents like the lynching of 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das in January 2025 sparked protests across Indian cities demanding minority protection and stronger diplomatic action.
Recently, however, the two countries have exchanged more positive gestures. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first world leaders to congratulate Tarique Rahman after the BNP victory, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended the swearing-in on 17 February.
On 25 March, marking the anniversary of the 1971 Operation Searchlight by Pakistan, PM Tarique Rahman paid tribute to the victims. India has publicly supported Bangladesh’s pursuit of justice. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the atrocities of 1971 “murdered millions of innocent Bangladeshis and involved mass sexual crimes against women,” and emphasized that Pakistan continues to deny these crimes. “India supports Bangladesh in its desire for justice,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
