Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman. File. Photo: X/@ihcdhaka via ANI
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is expected to visit India in the first week of April, diplomatic sources confirmed. The visit will be the first high-level outing from Bangladesh since its Prime Minister Tarique Rahman came to power after leading the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to a landslide victory in the February 12 election. The visit is expected to revive bilateral ties that have cooled during the interim government’s 15-month tenure.
Mr Khalilur Rahman is expected to hold a bilateral meeting in New Delhi and then proceed to Mauritius to attend the Indian Ocean Conference hosted by the Government of Mauritius. The visit is likely to be dominated by Bangladesh’s energy scenario, which has become dire due to the ongoing war in West Asia and the ensuing crisis in the global energy market.
India delivered a shipment of high-speed diesel to Bangladesh on March 10, with sources saying Bangladesh is in urgent need of diesel and other petroleum products as the country rations fuel to deal with the crisis.
The two sides are also expected to revive the issue of renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty, which will celebrate 30 years this December. Mr. Khalilur Rahman was the National Security Adviser to the Interim Government led by Prof. Mohammed Yunus and visited India in November 2025 when he met NSA Ajit Doval in the country’s capital.
Mutual bonhomie
Both countries exchanged comments in the spirit of mutual understanding. On 25 March, on the anniversary of the Pakistan Army’s infamous 1971 Operation Searchlight, which left millions of Bangladeshi citizens dead, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman paid tribute to the victims of Pakistan Army atrocities. “They opened fire indiscriminately on teachers, intellectuals and innocent civilians at various places, including Dhaka University, Pilkhana and Rajarbagh police lines, killing many people,” Bangladesh’s prime minister said on Thursday.
Following his remarks, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday (March 27, 2026) that Operation Searchlight and subsequent violence in 1971 led to the “murder of millions of innocent Bangladeshi people and mass sexual crimes against women”.
“These atrocities have shocked the conscience of the world. However, Pakistan still denies its crimes. We support Bangladesh in its desire for justice,” MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, adding that “India supports Bangladesh’s desire for justice”.
In keeping with the positive momentum in ties, India sent Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Foreign Minister Vikram Misri as representatives of the Government of India to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony on 17 February. This optimism was also visible on March 26, when the Bangladesh High Commission hosted a gala dinner at its premises to mark Bangladesh Nationals’ Day, on the occasion of Bangladesh State Day. Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, Foreign Minister Vikram Misri and other senior officials including MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
Published – 27 March 2026 23:12 IST
