Bangladesh has signalled that it wants to reset ties with India and build a fresh relationship based on mutual interests, days after Dhaka said it was ‘reviewing’ all 101 agreements signed with New Delhi. The Islamic nation had objected to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman not being invited to the BRICS Summit in Delhi.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said on Sunday, 13th September that Bangladesh wants to handle its relationship with India through direct bilateral talks rather than through multilateral platforms. He described the relationship during the tenure of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as “uncomfortable”.
Dhaka wants a new approach to India
Kobir said Bangladesh needs to take a more balanced view of India and should not remain too focused on its relationship with New Delhi. He said India should be treated like any other country, while Bangladesh should continue to maintain good bilateral ties with it.
“We want to move towards a new relationship, which should be done through bilateral discussions, not through a multilateral forum,” Kobir told reporters.
He also said Bangladesh needs to move beyond what he called an “excessive preoccupation” with India and focus on its own interests while building relations with other countries.
“We have to get out of the India fascination. India is just another country, and Bangladesh wants good bilateral relations with it,” Kobir said. He added, “Breakfast in India, lunch in India, dinner in India then when will you eat your own food?”
The comments came two days after Bangladesh said Tarique Rahman would not attend the BRICS Summit hosted by India. Dhaka said Rahman had not been invited in his personal capacity and that the invitation was instead extended to the chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
India had invited Rahman to attend the summit as BIMSTEC chairman, while a separate bilateral invitation had been in place since February. The two-day BRICS Summit concluded on Sunday.
Bangladesh had said it was reviewing 101 India pacts
The latest shift comes days after BNP chief whip Nurul Islam Moni said Bangladesh was reviewing all 101 agreements and MoUs signed with India. Speaking on 11th September, Moni said the government would soon decide which agreements should continue, be changed or be cancelled.
His comments came during a discussion on arrangements that allow ships from friendly countries to use Bangladesh’s Chattogram and Mongla ports. Moni said the government wanted to move away from agreements made under the previous administration that it considers against Bangladesh’s interests. He also questioned port policies that, according to him, gave foreign vessels an advantage over Bangladeshi ships.
Moni also criticised India’s decision over Rahman’s BRICS invitation, calling it disappointing for an independent country. He said Bangladesh’s future diplomatic decisions would be guided by its sovereignty and national interests.
Hasina issue remains a major point of tension
India-Bangladesh relations have remained strained since Sheikh Hasina left Bangladesh and took refuge in India after being ousted following a youth-led agitation in August 2024.
Against this backdrop, Kobir’s latest remarks indicate that Dhaka now wants to move towards a more direct and practical relationship with New Delhi, based on mutual interests rather than past political differences.
Rahman to attend UN General Assembly
Bangladesh is also preparing for its next major diplomatic engagement. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to travel to New York on 21st September to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and is expected to stay there until 26th September.
Asked whether Rahman could meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UNGA, Kobir said such meetings are often finalised at the last moment during major international events.
He said the main purpose of Rahman’s visit would be to address the UN General Assembly, while details of other meetings would become clear later.
The latest statements suggest that after the BRICS episode and the announcement about reviewing India-related pacts, Bangladesh is now signalling a move towards resetting its ties with India through bilateral engagement.
