Dhaka/New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, a day after he paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.
“High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi called on Honb’le Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today and sought his guidance on further strengthening the multifaceted and enduring bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh in a constructive manner with a people-centric approach,” the High Commission of India in Bangladesh posted on X.
On Monday, during his meeting with Rahman, High Commissioner Trivedi had conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and the intent to work together with the government and the people of Bangladesh in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.
“They exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and discussed avenues for further strengthening bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh with a people-centric approach,” the High Commission of India in Bangladesh had stated after the meeting.
Analysts reckoned that the meeting signalled a “positive shift” following a period of diplomatic strain between the two countries.
The cordial engagement suggests a willingness on both sides to set aside recent irritants and place greater emphasis on the broader India-Bangladesh relationship, a report stated.
“The latest strain in Bangladesh-India relations should concern both governments, but it need not become a crisis of their own making. Geography, history, trade, rivers, security and deep people-to-people ties bind the two neighbours in ways neither can wish away. Political disagreements are inevitable; allowing them to overwhelm the larger relationship is a choice. There are now signs that both Dhaka and Delhi understand the need to prevent that from happening,” a report in Bangladesh’s ‘Daily Sun’ highlighted.
It noted that former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent address to journalists in New Delhi has triggered strong reactions in Dhaka. However, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reiterated that the Indian government had no involvement in Hasina’s recent virtual media interaction and that it does not endorse any remarks made at the event, particularly those concerning the duly constituted government in Dhaka.
Emphasising that the Indian High Commissioner Trivedi has also adopted a conciliatory approach since assuming office, the report noted that he has stressed the need to address bilateral challenges through mutual understanding and expressed optimism about taking India-Bangladesh relations forward.
The report also highlighted that Bangladesh and India have faced similar challenges in the past, with their history marked by both difficult bilateral disputes and instances of successful diplomacy.
“It required patience, negotiation and political courage on both sides. A problem that had resisted successive governments was resolved because both countries eventually decided that an unsatisfactory status quo was not sustainable. The lesson is clear. Difficult issues are rarely resolved by allowing them to fester,” the report in ‘Daily Sun’ mentioned.
It added that the invitation to Rahman to visit India, including the invitation to attend the BRICS Summit in New Delhi in September, provides another potential avenue for high-level engagement.
–IANS
/as
