Trivedi to meet PM today after Khalilur talks

Trivedi to meet PM today after Khalilur talks
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on Sunday, a day before his scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, as Dhaka and New Delhi seek to move past recent tensions and revive bilateral engagement.The one-to-one meeting was held at the State Guesthouse Padma against the backdrop of strains in Bangladesh-India relations following ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s virtual appearance at a press conference in New Delhi on 5 August, despite Dhaka’s request to the Indian government to prevent the event. Following the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strongly worded statement, saying India’s decision to allow Hasina to engage openly with the media in New Delhi was deeply hurtful to the people of Bangladesh and could undermine efforts to build harmonious relations between the two countries. The ministry also accused Hasina and her associates of using the occasion to spread “toxic hatred” against Bangladesh and its people. Later, India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, speaking at a media briefing on Friday, said, “The Indian government does not endorse anything said from that platform, particularly the remarks directed against Bangladesh’s legitimately constituted government.” Hasina’s appearance at the press conference, however, has also prompted Dhaka to reconsider Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s possible participation in the BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held on 12 and 13 September, at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Against this backdrop, Trivedi’s first courtesy meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is being viewed as significant. The meeting will be Trivedi’s first with the prime minister since he presented his credentials to the President on 25 June. Diplomatic circles in Bangladesh believe the meetings indicate that, despite the recent tensions, neither side is interested in allowing bilateral relations to deteriorate further. They believe there remains an opportunity to reset ties based on mutual respect and dignity, shared interests and sensitivity to each other’s concerns.