‘No need to rush’: Indian envoy says invitation for PM Tarique to visit Delhi remains open

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi has played down talk of an imminent New Delhi visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, insisting there is no need to rush and that relations between the two countries remain on “positive” footing.

After a courtesy call on State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Tuesday, Trivedi was asked whether a possible November date had been fixed for the trip.

“As I said before, our invitation is open. I don't think there's any need to rush on this. When the time is right, it will certainly happen,” he said.

“Everything is very positive. But we must give due time. Within a certain period, everything will turn positive. There is no question about anything negative.”

Trivedi said the response he received while speaking to people in Bangladesh was also positive, although he acknowledged there were “political compulsions” on both sides that remained a work in progress.

“But overall, everything is absolutely positive, and I am sure we are very confident whenever the prime ministers of both sides find it convenient, things will happen.”

Describing his rapport with Kobir as a “personal relationship”, Trivedi said: “I find him to be very upright, very frank and very open. We had a very good discussion. And there's always a positivity there.”

Trivedi said the first courtesy meeting since Kobir took office did not focus on any single issue and that he had congratulated the state minister on behalf of India.

“Through him, I also sent my greetings to [Tarique Rahman]. He had an extraordinary meeting in New York. All in all, this was purely a courtesy call. I wish him well in his new role.”

In a media statement, the foreign ministry said the meeting covered bilateral issues as well as regional and international matters, including the recently concluded 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

Kobir underscored Bangladesh's commitment to working with India in a “forward-looking, mutually respectful way on issues of shared interest and public benefit”, the ministry said.