Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday described Prime Minister Tarique Rahman as a very “intelligent” and “pro-people” person and expressed optimism about something positive in terms of strengthening relations between the two countries.

“This is left to the Prime Minister’s prerogative. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh is a very intelligent person. He is pro-people. I think we should leave it to the Prime Minister,” he told reporters when asked about the Prime Minister’s possible visit to India.

The High Commissioner, who paid separate courtesy calls on Speaker Maj (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, and Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal at the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad, said he had no doubt about the intention behind the agenda of whatever is to be done in terms of friendship.

“The intention from both sides is people-oriented. When there is a people-oriented approach, things will happen,” he said while speaking at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Asked about the renewed discussion on the possible visit by the Prime Minister, the High Commissioner said there is no end to discussion in a democracy.

“If discussion ends, that is not democracy. It is like a running river, like the Ganga and Padma. It keeps on running; there is no stagnation. Dialogue is like the flow of a river and the flow of an ocean. They will never stop. Now, I am sanguine. I am confident. It is the process of democracy. The process will continue,” he said.

Strengthening People-to-People Ties

The High Commissioner underlined that engagement between the two parliaments is vital to strengthening people-to-people ties between the two sovereign and democratic countries of Bangladesh and India.

The discussions included opportunities for forming Parliamentary Friendship Groups, mutual visits by parliamentary delegations under the guidance of both the Speakers, cooperation between parliamentary committees and the digitisation of parliamentary records.

The High Commissioner reiterated the invitation extended by Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla to visit India at the earliest convenience.

“We’ve extended a warm welcome to the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker to visit India and to the democratic temple of democracy, the Indian Parliament,” he told reporters after separate meetings with the Speaker and Deputy Speaker at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

The Indian envoy also conveyed greetings to Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad and Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal from Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.

“I had talks with the Speaker Om Birla and he told me, ‘Please give my greetings to my friend, the Speaker of Bangladesh,’” Trivedi said.

During his meeting with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, the two sides discussed ways to expand Bangladesh-India bilateral relations through parliamentary delegation visits, as well as the Rohingya crisis and their rehabilitation, and sports and cultural exchanges, according to a Parliament Secretariat press release.

Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said Bangladesh-India relations have always progressed through various ups and downs and that the historical relationship between the two countries has changed in different contexts.

He said the Awami League government undermined people’s democratic rights through what he described as “staged” elections in 2008, 2014, 2018 and 2024.

The Speaker said the 2024 student-people uprising paved the way for the restoration of democracy.

He also said that during Sheikh Hasina’s regime, relations between Bangladesh and India were largely government-centric.

“The relationship between the peoples of the two countries should be the foundation of Bangladesh-India relations,” he said, stressing that the relationship should move forward on the basis of mutual respect and recognition of each other’s independence and sovereignty.

Trivedi said the Indian government is interested in building a people-centric relationship between the two countries and noted the importance of strengthening people-to-people contacts.

The current Indian government is working to fulfil the aspirations of the people by building relationships with them, he added.

The High Commissioner stressed the importance of exchanges of parliamentary delegations between India and Bangladesh.

During the meeting with Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal, they discussed bilateral relations, parliamentary diplomacy, use of information technology in parliamentary activities and the modernisation of parliamentary procedures.

Trivedi praised the architectural excellence of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, designed by renowned architect Louis I. Kahn.

Referring to the historical and friendly ties between Bangladesh and India, he said the two countries are connected by shared history, culture, heritage and mutual interests.

He stressed greater parliamentary communication and cooperation, saying increased contacts between lawmakers, regular exchanges of views and reciprocal visits by the two parliaments could play an important role in further strengthening bilateral relations.

Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal described the Indian Parliament as a modern legislature and said Bangladesh had already taken initiatives to introduce an e-Parliament system.

He expressed hope that India would extend cooperation for the successful implementation of the initiative.

Kamal said having an experienced parliamentarian like Trivedi as India’s High Commissioner in Bangladesh was a great opportunity to strengthen parliamentary communication and modernise Bangladesh’s parliamentary system.

He said parliamentary diplomatic cooperation between Bangladesh and India could create an excellent platform for exchanging experiences between the two countries.

Both sides expressed hope that bilateral relations would be further strengthened by prioritising the welfare of the peoples of the two countries, expanding areas of mutual cooperation and consolidating mutual trust, confidence and stability.