Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman. File | Photo credit: ANI
River water sharing, energy cooperation, normalization of visa services and the war in West Asia are expected to feature in bilateral talks with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman due to visit India this week, according to diplomatic sources.
It will be the first visit by a Bangladesh foreign minister since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in Dhaka on August 5, 2024, which sent bilateral relations downhill. In preparation for the visit, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry on Sunday (April 5, 2026) held internal meetings in preparation for the visit, which is likely to take place between April 7 and 8, sources in Dhaka said.
Negotiations to renew the Ganga Treaty
Indian officials have said it is important to speed up negotiations to renew the 1996 Ganges Water Treaty, noting that the sub-committees set up for the purpose have not made much progress during the fifteen-month tenure of the interim government in Dhaka, led by chief adviser Mohammed Yunus. However, the newly elected government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who was sworn into office on February 17, has indicated that it is willing to advance dialogue and conclude negotiations before the December 2026 deadline for renewing the treaty.
Bangladesh Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Choudhury Anee said on April 1 that a technical committee on the issue had begun its work in Dhaka. Bangladeshi diplomatic sources also indicated that a temporary renewal of the contract could be attempted if necessary before both sides commit to a long-term renewal. Both New Delhi and Dhaka are understood to be walking a tightrope with regard to the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, where the sharing of Ganga waters could become a political issue.
“Transiting through Delhi”
Mr. Rahman’s visit also indicates New Delhi’s willingness to engage with the elected government in Dhaka. Several issues, including Ms Hasina’s presence in India and continued mob violence against Indian missions and visa centres, have cast a shadow over India-Bangladesh relations during the caretaker government’s tenure. Mr Rahman, who served as national security adviser to Professor Yunus, is one of the few officials in the interim government who has managed to hold on to important positions in the elected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government.
Due to the delicate situation of bilateral relations, the Indian side has not yet announced the visit and sources in Dhaka described the visit as a “transit via Delhi” before Mr Rahman proceeds to the Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius, organized by the India Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Government of Mauritius. However, official sources said that during his stay in Delhi, Mr Rahman will meet his counterpart External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other senior officials, senior editors and diplomats based in Delhi.
Energy security issues
The war in West Asia and the resulting energy insecurity, which has emerged as a major challenge for the Tarique Rahman government, is one issue that should also feature prominently in the talks. On March 10, India sent 5,000 metric tons of diesel to Bangladesh through the Bangladesh-India Friendship Gas Pipeline. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal gave an update on the India-Bangladesh energy dialogue on Thursday (April 2, 2026), saying, “We have received a request from the Bangladesh government for the supply of diesel, which is being reviewed.
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Bangladeshi diplomats also stressed that a high priority for Dhaka is to normalize India’s visa process for Bangladeshi tourists and businessmen.
Foreign Minister Mr. Rahman, who also served as high representative of Prof. Yunuse for “Rohingya Crisis and Priority Matters”, he advocated a so-called “humanitarian corridor” between Chittagong and Myanmar’s Rakhine province, which saw elections organized by the military junta in December 2025 and January 2025, including support for greater international coordination Rahman. countries in South Asia and beyond to deal with the Rohingya crisis.
Published – 05 Apr 2026 23:35 IST
