Humayun Kobir, Foreign Affairs Advisor to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Image: Special arrangement
Bangladesh wants to build a relationship with India that will focus on “people-to-people” ties and not be limited to individuals and political parties, a senior official in the current government led by Prime Minister Tariq Rahman said on Monday (April 6, 2026). Humayun Kobir, Prime Minister Rahman’s adviser on foreign affairs, said the “new” relationship between the two sides would prevent the “mistakes of the past” from being repeated.
“Our bilateral relationship should be people-to-people rather than individual-focused. That is what we want and that is also what India wants. We want to ensure that this relationship avoids the mistakes of the past,” Mr Kobir said. The remarks came after Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma called on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday (April 6, 2026). Briefing the media after the meeting, Mr. Kobir said the two sides discussed energy cooperation through the India-Bangladesh Friendship Gas Pipeline.
India sent 5,000 metric tons of high-speed diesel on March 10 and the two sides are in talks to resolve the energy crisis that is growing in Bangladesh against the backdrop of the ongoing war between the US and Israel against Iran. Mr Kobir is expected to accompany Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman during his visit to India, which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday (April 7, 2026). This will be the first foreign minister-level visit from the Bangladeshi side since the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, 2024, as part of a student-people uprising.
Mr Kobir said that Bangladesh had left Sheikh Hasina’s era behind and added: “We have to create a new space for a new relationship because the relationship between Hasina and India will no longer be possible. Hasina is a spent force in Bangladesh and her influence is non-existent.” He said the two sides should hold more frequent exchanges at the political party and official level to address “difficult issues” to avoid misunderstandings.
Officials here said Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman’s visit is continuing and he is expected to arrive here on Tuesday for a visit that will include a series of high-level talks. Both sides have kept a tight lid on preparations for the talks given the delicate nature of ties, which have yet to fully recover from setbacks suffered during the interim government over Ms Hasin’s presence in India and frequent mob attacks on Indian missions and visa centers in Bangladesh.
Dhaka-based daily Prothom Alo reported on Monday that apart from renewing the Ganga water treaty and energy cooperation, the Bangladesh team is also expected to raise the need for the removal of restrictive measures imposed by India on the use of the Indian sea and airports for Bangladeshi export items during April-June 2025. In addition, Mr. Khalilur Rahman is also likely to reduce pressure on Humir Rahman and Mr. Kofir against India. Bangladeshi civilians. While India says such actions are aimed at criminal gangs and smugglers, Bangladesh says such gangs should be arrested and brought to justice and should not be fired upon.
Published – 06 Apr 2026 23:08 IST
