Modi, High Commissioner to Dhaka, discusses bilateral relations during talks on Bangladesh PM’s delayed visit to India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi | Photo credit: PTI

As India and Bangladesh negotiate Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to India, High Commissioner to Dhaka Dinesh Trivedi held a “very good” and “lengthy” meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (October 7, 2026), according to a PMO source.

Also read | Sheikh Hasina’s activities in India ‘major challenge’ in planning Bangladesh PM’s visit: Humaiyun Kobir

Mr. Trivedi, who assumed his current post in June, is on a three-day visit to Delhi for consultations. The source did not share any details about his conversation with Mr. Modi. The meeting took place even as the Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that India wanted to build a “constructive and forward-looking” relationship with Bangladesh.

“Hasina is the biggest challenge”

India and Bangladesh were in the middle of planning talks for Mr Rahman’s proposed trip to New Delhi when their dialogue was disrupted by ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s first press interaction on August 5, leading to some sharp words from Dhaka. However, after a few weeks, the two sides resumed talks about the Bangladeshi prime minister’s visit.

Earlier this week, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Humayun Kobir described the activities of Ms Hasina and her Awami League party in India as a “major challenge” in planning Mr Rahman’s visit to India.

Responding to his comments, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Wednesday reiterated India’s commitment to building a “constructive and forward-looking” relationship with Bangladesh.

Strange history

In the eight months since he was sworn in as prime minister, Mr Rahman has visited Malaysia and China and attended the UN General Assembly in early September. Bangladesh Foreign Ministry sources said he is expected to visit Japan for four days this month. However, uncertainty remains over his plans to visit India as the two sides are yet to come together at the highest level since he came to power.

India-Bangladesh ties plummeted in August 2024 when Ms Hasina’s government was toppled by a mass student-led uprising. The chaotic overthrow of Ms. Hasina was followed by fifteen months of a caretaker government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus and his team of advisers.

India reached out to Mr. Rahman early during this period in an effort to build bridges, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met him on 31 October 2025 during the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Following the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s landslide victory in the 2026 general elections, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Foreign Minister Vikram Misri visited Dhaka on February 17 for Mr. Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony.

Despite these speeches and two invitations — one to a bilateral meeting and the other to the latest BRICS summit — India has so far not featured in Mr. Rahman’s travel calendar.

Published – 7 Oct 2026 21:25 IST