Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud is scheduled to leave for New Delhi, India on February 7 – the first bilateral visit by the minister after his appointment – to further strengthen Bangladesh-India relations. “It’s likely to be a three-day visit,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today (January 18, 2024), noting that the agenda of the visit is yet to be finalised. The Foreign Minister said he will be visiting the country at the invitation of Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar. Asked whether he will have a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit, Mahmud said, “It is too early to say.” Read more: FM to lead Bangladesh delegation at 19th NAM Summit in Uganda Jaishankar, earlier, invited his Bangladesh counterpart Dr Hasan Mahmud to visit New Delhi at a mutually convenient time. Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma extended the invitation on behalf of the Indian External Affairs Minister on Monday. The Foreign Minister accepted the invitation and told him that he would visit Delhi soon. Mahmud was scheduled to embark on a multilateral tour to Uganda last night. After two hours, he came to know that the flight will not depart due to fog and poor visibility. The Foreign Minister was scheduled to hold a meeting on the sidelines of NAM Summit today. The meeting with the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka marked Hasan Mahmud’s first diplomatic engagement since assuming the office of foreign minister. He noted the successful holding of the 12th parliamentary elections in Bangladesh on January 7, which was free, fair and participatory, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also noted that international elections observers and media who visited Dhaka to cover elections expressed their satisfaction over the election process. Read more: FM seeks EU's trade concessions until 2032 for Bangladesh’s graduation

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has invited his Bangladesh counterpart Dr Hasan Mahmud to visit New Delhi at a mutually convenient time. Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma extended the invitation on behalf of the Indian External Affairs Minister on Monday. Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud accepted the invitation and told him that he would visit Delhi soon. He revealed he plans his first bilateral visit to India. Dhaka, Delhi discuss expansion of trade, connectivity The visit aims to further strengthen diplomatic ties, with the exact date to be decided later. Additionally, Mahmud is set to embark on a multilateral tour to Uganda this week The meeting with the Indian High Commissioner marked Hasan Mahmud's first diplomatic engagement since assuming the office of foreign minister. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni congratulates Sheikh Hasina He noted the successful holding of the 12th parliamentary elections in Bangladesh on January 7, which was free, fair and participatory, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also noted that international elections observers and media who visited Dhaka to cover elections expressed their satisfaction over the election process. Hasan Mahmud mentioned that BNP is resorting to arson in the name of movement and protests and no discussions can be held with ine who patronizes this kind of heinous activities.  No dialogue with those who burn people to death: Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud The new foreign minister thanked the government of India and Dr. Jaisankar for their Messages of Congratulations. Earlier, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar congratulated Dr Hasan Mahmud on his appointment as the new Foreign Minister of Bangladesh. “Look forward to working to further deepen the India-Bangladesh Maitri (friendship),” he said in a message shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma on Monday visited the Gandhi Ashram in Noakhali and paid rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 75th death anniversary. The Ashram commemorates Bapu’s “Peace Mission” to Noakhali in 1946 and his message of non-violence and communal harmony. The High Commissioner also participated in a discussion titled “The Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi in the Contemporary World” organized by the Gandhi Ashram Trust. Members of the trust, local political leaders, representatives of local administration as well as civil society and academia joined the interaction. High Commissioner Verma underlined the guiding light of Gandhiji’s philosophy of truth, humanism and non-violence in showing them the path to deal with today’s global menace of extremism and terrorism. He also emphasised Gandhi’s belief in harmony with nature, his determination for the empowerment of the poorest and his message of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” that inspires the motto of “One Earth, One Family, One Future” adopted by India for its G20 Presidency.  

The India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) accorded a reception to new Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma at a city hotel on Monday. The IBCCI officials greeted Pranay Verma with flowers and a memento. Some publications of IBCCI were also handed over to the Indian envoy. IBCCI President Abdul Matlub Ahmad gave the welcome speech at the programme. The dollar crisis is posing impediments to Bangladesh's exports to India as well as the country's imports from India, Matlub said. He also talked about certain trade barriers that exist between India and Bangladesh. IBCCI Vice-President Shoeb Chowdhury highlighted the friendly ties between India and Bangladesh. Read more: 30 Indian soldiers who fought to liberate Bangladesh recognised on V Day India is now Bangladesh's fourth largest export destination while Poland is third, he said. Shoeb hoped that Bangladesh would be able to export more goods to India to reduce its trade deficit. He sought Pranay Verma's cooperation to further expand the Bangladesh-India ties. Shoeb Chowdhury sought India's assistance to save Bangladesh from debt-trap diplomacy. Pranay Verma lauded the activities of IBCCI and its officials. He emphasised exploring more prospects regarding the enhancement of diplomatic and commercial bonds between India and Bangladesh. The envoy also talked about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "neighbours first" policy which is expected to move Bangladesh-India ties relations further forward. Pranay Verma also made references to visa issues and the importance of the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Bangladesh and India. He also focused on green energy, tech transfer, renewable energy and some other relevant matters. IBCCI Vice-President Abhisek Das gave the vote of thanks at the programme. Read more: CEPA to be win-win for both countries: IBCCI President

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay K Verma has said it is important to work together to keep the legacy of 1971 alive, especially among the younger generations. "That's a very important task. We should not forget our history," he said while speaking as the chief guest at the "Maitri Alumni Reunion 2022" held at Old India House Thursday evening. The high commissioner said the relations between Bangladesh and India are rooted in the shared sacrifice that makes it so special. "We call it a relationship which is special, multifaceted and more than a strategic partnership. But I think it is truly a relationship of people," he said, adding that the people-to-people link is the most important element of bilateral relations.

Newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma on Thursday said he is looking forward to working closely with the Bangladesh government to realise the full potential of Bangladesh-India ties. The envoy said he would try to work towards further expanding and strengthening the close and friendly ties between the countries. He made the remarks as he presented his credentials to President Abdul Hamid. After that, Verma visited the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at 32 Dhanmondi, Dhaka to pay tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. During his meeting with the president, the Indian high commissioner conveyed the greetings of the government and the people of India to the head of state of Bangladesh. Read: Indian High Commissioner pays tribute to Liberation War martyrs

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami on Sunday visited Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chattogram. He had a "very good and fruitful" interaction with the faculty members and the students. The high commissioner also gifted some fitness and gym equipment to the university.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami has expressed his hope that the authorities in Bangladesh will soon consider his country’s standing request to permit the commercial screening of Indian films in theatres in Bangladesh. “Cinema is an art form that is designed to go across the borders,” he said, quoting great filmmaker Dennis Villenuve. High Commissioner Doraiswami thinks allowing more film releases on a commercial basis will help develop both the film industries - from the artistic standpoint, as well as through increased inflows of investment in the sector, ranging from theatres to financing - given the similar and yet complimentary artistic sensibilities that Bangladesh and India share, and the long history of cooperation between two countries’ artistes, film makers and even music industry. The Indian envoy made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of Dhaka International Film Festival 2022 here on Saturday. Also read: Bangladesh, India to have much to do in next 50 years: Doraiswami Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen joined the function as the chief guest. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid and Festival Director Ahmed Muztaba Jamal also spoke.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami has said Bangladesh and India will have much to do in the next 50 years to build on the foundation of the two countries’ friendship and history together. “We’ve made important achievements especially in the last decade,” he said, mentioning that the two countries are the closest partners in the political, diplomatic, commercial, economic, developmental, cultural, security, and even people-to-people fronts. The High Commissioner said they must now ensure that future generations understand this history because it is the youth of today who will make this partnership irreversible. “Doing so would be a truly fitting contribution to the millions of Bangladeshi martyrs who gave their all for this country,” said the High Commissioner while addressing a reception on Monday evening.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the relations between Bangladesh and India have reached a new level. The Prime Minister said this when Indian High Commissioner Vikram Kumar Doraiswami met her at her official residence Ganobhaban. PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting. Also read: Grab investment opportunities in Bangladesh, PM Hasina to global investors Karim said both the Prime Minister and the envoy discussed issues relating to the enhancement of trade and commerce between the two neighbouring countries. In this connection, Hasina put emphasis on the resumption of Akhaura-Agartala rail line to boost connectivity and trade as everything is there for the rail communication.  Doraiswami informed the Prime Minister that the Indian President will visit Bangladesh to join the Victory Day celebrations coinciding the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of the Independence. “This is a special year, a year when the Indian President and the Prime Minister are visiting Bangladesh. For India, Bangladesh is a very dear country,” he said. The Indian envoy mentioned that they will showcase the Bangladesh-India relations to demonstrate a good framework of ties. The officials of the two countries are working on finalising the Indian President’s tour. Hasina said there is significant progress in trade, business and tourism between the two countries and now they have to remain cautious to tackle the Covid-19. Also read: Sheikh Mujib a champion of human rights, freedom: Modi Doraiswami thanked Hasina for helping his country by providing medical equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic. He handed over a very rare photograph of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman where he was seen taking one security man to his home for having lunch with him in 1972. He also handed over a pen drive containing some audios and videos alongside some newspaper clippings. The Prime Minister recalled that they had passed horrible days in December 1971 under the captivity of the Pakistani occupation forces but when India recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign and independent country it was a great message for them. Ambassador at Large Md Ziauddin and Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus were also present.