India is the first foreign destination of Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud since the Hasina govt came to power in January. The minister will be on a 4-day India visit starting today and in Delhi he will be meeting External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday (Feb 7, 2024). On his agenda is also a visit to Kolkata according to an official advisory issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Feb 6, 2024.

The visit is aimed at advancing ties and strategizing future cooperation, and reflects a commitment to strengthen the relationship between the two nations. In addition to the talks, Mahmud is expected to deliver a lecture at a think tank in New Delhi.

The Bangladesh minister is no stranger to India having visited the country several times as the information minister.

Importance of the visit

The visit aims to enhance the progress made by India and Bangladesh in recent years regarding trade, economic, and energy connections, and to plan for future cooperation.

On January 11, it was reported that Hasan Mahmud was appointed as Bangladesh’s new Foreign Minister, succeeding Abdul Momen.

Minister Mahmud, who previously served as Deputy Foreign Minister during Hasina’s second term from 2009 to 2014, is known for his wide international network and strong local support. His visit to India is an important diplomatic engagement.

On January 20, during the NAM summit in Kampala, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Bangladesh counterpart Mohammed Hasan Mahmud. Jaishankar congratulated Mahmud on his appointment and looked forward to Mahmud’s visit to Delhi soon.

Jaishankar has previously stressed the importance of Bangladesh as a key component of India’s “neighbourhood first policy” and a vital partner for New Delhi’s “Act East policy,” which aims to strengthen ties between India and Southeast Asia.

India and Bangladesh share a long border of 4,096.9 kilometres, highlighting their economic and social interdependence. Their bilateral relations are strong, given the porous nature of their border. Both countries actively engage in regional cooperation through forums like SAARC, BIMSTEC, and IOR-ARC.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated three development projects with Indian assistance via a virtual ceremony. These projects include the Akhaura-Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link, the Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line, and Unit II of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant in Rampal, Bangladesh.

During the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in September 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was visiting India to participate in the summit.

This visit underscores the continued efforts to strengthen the ties between India and Bangladesh and promote mutual prosperity and development.

Expert View

Sharing his views with Financial Express Online, Gautam Lahiri, senior journalist and Bangladesh commentator says: “This will be the first bilateral visit of the foreign minister to India just after the 12th national poll of Parliament. He is coming at the invitation of EAM Jaishankar and is expected to review bilateral relationships and to make a roadmap for the future engagement.”

Adding, “Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has made clear FM will raise the issue of Teesta Water Sharing Agreement. China is impressing upon Dhaka to retake up the Teesta River Basin Project with massive investment. The Bangladesh government has so far not handed over the DPR of the project to China. Secondly, recent violent activities inside Myanmar have caused concern for both Delhi and Dhaka. Recently some army personnel crossed over to Bangladesh. FM has summoned the Myanmar ambassador to take back all those people to Myanmar who have crossed over.”

“The issue might be discussed during a bilateral meeting. The visiting minister is also supposed to raise a steady supply of essential items during the upcoming Ramdan month, as the Bangladesh market is facing a huge shortage.  And it is in this regard that during his visit, he is scheduled to meet the Commerce Minister in this regard.  A courtesy meeting with PM Narendra Modi is also being planned during the visit,” Lahiri stated.