Bangladesh home minister skips first BIMSTEC meeting in Delhi: What it means for relations with India | Today’s news
Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Tuesday skipped the first-ever BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi and Dhaka instead sent a delegation led by Principal Secretary Home Manzur Morshed Chowdhury, news agency PTI reported.
The two-day meeting began on Monday with senior officials from the home and interior ministries of member states, followed by a meeting of interior ministers on Tuesday, according to the report.
Ahmed’s absence came amid ongoing tensions in India-Bangladesh relations, which worsened after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted following a student-led uprising in August 2024 and subsequently took refuge in India.
The latest development also follows Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s decision to skip the BRICS summit information session in Delhi last month, despite the Indian government’s invitation extended to him as BIMSTEC chairman.
Who represented Bangladesh in the BIMSTEC meeting?
According to the Bangla Tribune, Chowdhury led the Bangladeshi delegation.
The Dhaka Tribune reported that the team also included AKM Shahidul Karim, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs who deals with SAARC, BIMSTEC and other priority issues, and Joint Secretary Rebecca Khan.
Bangladesh took over the chairmanship of BIMSTEC in April 2025.
Although Dhaka was represented at the meeting, the absence of its interior minister came at a sensitive time for bilateral relations.
What was the BIMSTEC meeting about?
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) brings together seven countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The regional grouping seeks to strengthen economic, technical and other forms of cooperation between countries in the Bay of Bengal and its neighbourhood.
The inaugural meeting of the BIMSTEC Home Ministers aimed to strengthen regional security cooperation in South and Southeast Asia.
Discussions were expected to cover law enforcement coordination, intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism and efforts to combat transnational crime.
According to UNB, the meeting was expected to be attended by Bhutan’s Home Minister, Myanmar’s Union Home Minister, Nepal’s Home Minister, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs and Thailand’s Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council.
The gathering comes as regional governments seek closer coordination on security threats that increasingly cross national borders.
Relations between Delhi and Dhaka deteriorated sharply after Hasina was ousted from power in August 2024 and fled to India.
The following interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, oversaw a particularly difficult phase in bilateral relations.
Hasa’s continued presence in India has remained a major point of contention, with Dhaka seeking her extradition. New Delhi said the request is being considered in accordance with applicable laws and established legal procedures.
India has also expressed concern over attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, adding another sensitive issue to the bilateral relationship.
In August, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said the atmosphere of Rahman’s proposed visit to India had been “damaged” by Hasina’s virtual press interaction in New Delhi that month. India said it had no role in organizing the media event and did not endorse the Bangladeshi government’s statement there.
Dhaka signals a desire to restore relations
Despite the tensions, Bangladesh has shown interest in establishing a more stable relationship with India.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said Dhaka wanted a “reset” in bilateral relations, while stressing that the relationship should be based on common interests. He also described relations under Hasina as “uncomfortable”.
Several sensitive issues remain to be resolved, including Hasina’s presence in India and the broader terms of cooperation between the two neighbors.
Read also | Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman to visit India in November? What we know so far
New Delhi invited Rahman for a bilateral visit and to attend the briefing session of the BRICS summit, the latter invitation being extended in his capacity as BIMSTEC chairman. Bangladesh did not attend the BRICS information session, while the proposed bilateral visit is yet to take place.
Bangladesh’s decision to send a senior bureaucrat in place of its home minister adds a diplomatic dimension to the first BIMSTEC home ministers’ meeting, especially as India seeks to strengthen regional security cooperation.
