Published : 14 Sep 2026, 02:50 AM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:50 AM
Bangladesh should stop viewing every diplomatic question through the lens of its larger neighbour India, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir has suggested, urging the nation to focus more closely on its own interests.
His remarks came after a journalist asked whether Prime Minister Tarique Rahman could meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
“India for daily breakfast, India for lunch, India for dinner -- then, brother, when will you eat your own country’s food?” Kobir said.
The exchange began when a journalist had observed that bilateral meetings should not take place at a multilateral forum before discussions are held separately with the country concerned.
“Who says that? Where does this observation come from? Did someone from the government tell you so?” Kobir asked.
When the journalist pointed out that Kobir himself had said Bangladesh would not hold bilateral meetings at a multilateral forum, he rejected the interpretation.
“I did not say that. You did not take careful notes. You did not understand me or listen carefully. That is the problem.
“My answer was specific to India. We want a good working relationship with India, so it would be better if the visit happens first.”
Kobir’s sharp remarks come against the backdrop of recalibrated diplomatic engagements between Dhaka and New Delhi following the 2024 political transition.
Ties experienced noticeable strain during the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, with Dhaka actively seeking to rebalance its foreign relations and redefine its standing in regional and global forums.
Recently, Dhaka declined participation in the BRICS Summit Outreach session hosted by India in New Delhi, with the foreign ministry asserting that the invitation was extended to the BIMSTEC Chair -- a position currently held by Bangladesh -- rather than a direct bilateral invitation to the Bangladesh prime minister.
Under the current administration, Dhaka has increasingly signaled a pivot away from an India-centric foreign policy in favour of broader multi-alignment, strengthening engagements with China, ASEAN, and Western partners to assert diplomatic autonomy.
Bangladesh’s preference for a bilateral visit with India, however, did not mean it would avoid meetings with other leaders on the sidelines of international events, Kobir clarified.
“As a journalist, you need to be careful and precise with words, otherwise these create unnecessary confusion,” he said.
Bangladesh wants to “reset” ties after 15 years of what Kobir described as the rule of a “troubled, flawed, corrupt, looting authoritarian government”.
“We want to move towards a new relationship. That is why this should be a bilateral visit,” he said.
“But that does not mean that if we attend an international conference, we will not meet anyone on the sidelines. Such a thing was never said.”
Asked again whether there would be no meeting with Modi on the UN sidelines, Kobir replied: “No, no, no. Move beyond this India fascination. India is simply another country with which we want a good working relationship or bilateral relationship.”
“If you keep talking about India all the time, when will you think about your own country? Think about your own country.”
He said decisions on bilateral visits and multilateral engagements would be based on Bangladesh’s interests.
“You cannot meet everyone. But we have many invitations. So, we will talk at many events on the sidelines.”
