High Commissioner Trivedi says PM-to-PM dialogue can resolve India-Bangladesh problems

All outstanding issues between Bangladesh and India can be resolved if the prime ministers of both nations engage in direct talks, according to Dinesh Trivedi, the Indian high commissioner in Dhaka.

After opening a children's play zone at the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Jamuna Future Park on Sunday, he said Bangladesh's prime minister is held in high esteem by everyone. 

“I have listened to his speeches on numerous occasions and observed that he speaks from the heart. He is a man of the people, just as our prime minister."

He added, "I firmly believe that when the two leaders talk, all problems will be resolved. 

“Solutions emerge when we engage in dialogue. I have full confidence that the people remain united, a resolution will definitely happen. There is nothing negative here, it is entirely positive."

Tensions with India rose during the interim government’s tenure following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024 amid a student-led mass uprising.

Subsequently, following the formation of the BNP government, both Dhaka and Delhi have been signalling efforts to normalise relations.

Immediately after the government was formed on Feb 17, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited his Bangladeshi counterpart Tarique Rahman to pay a bilateral visit to Delhi.

With Dhaka yet to respond to that invitation, BRICS Chair Narendra Modi invited Tarique Rahman to the September summit in Delhi in Tarique's capacity as the BIMSTEC chair.

As Dhaka's decision over Tarique’s attendance at that event remains pending, a media briefing held by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in Delhi has emerged as a new crisis in bilateral relations. 

Uncertainty has also been cast over Prime Minister Tarique’s visit to India.

Following an IVAC event, Trivedi held a meeting with Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman at the State Guest House Padma.

The newly appointed Indian high commissioner is scheduled to pay his first courtesy call on Tarique on Monday.

Highlighting the immense demand for Indian visas in Bangladesh, Trivedi noted that plans are under way to gradually expand both the number and capacity of visa application centres to meet this demand. 

He, however, warned that scaling up capacity too drastically all at once could give rise to fresh complications.

Emphasising that mitigating the plight of visa applicants remains a top priority, he added that special focus is being placed on increasing necessary facilities for children, women, and individuals seeking medical treatment in India.