Dhaka is more comfortable with the idea of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman coming to India on a standalone bilateral as opposed to a multi-national forum like the BRICS and this message was conveyed to the Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi during his meeting with Rahman in Dhaka, NDTV has learnt. Soon after, Trivedi flew back to New Delhi and held meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top officials in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Conversations on restarting railway services to improve people to people connect may materialise if the reset in ties progress with a bilateral meeting between Rahman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Earlier this month, Trivedi met Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources of Bangladesh, Iqbal Hassan Mahmood, and exchanged views on further strengthening India-Bangladesh cooperation in the power and energy sectors.
After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus emboldened anti-India voices and released terrorists like Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) chief Jashimuddin Rahmani. Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) are linked extremist networks in South Asia. Critical for the project is the Ganga Water Agreement – signed in 1996 for 30 years – is up for renewal this year. India and Bangladesh are in the middle of negotiations over the renewal of the treaty that has been in operation for the last 30 years.
Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has said that whenever the heads of government of the two countries speak or bilateral discussions take place, opportunities arise to resolve many problems. Rahman has said his government will deliver Padma Barrage plans. After coming to power the Tarique Rahman government has said it will seek better relations with India and India is likely to raise regional security issues in bilateral discussions.
