India assures 'memorable' visit for Bangladesh PM amid diplomatic strains
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants his Bangladeshi counterpart Tarique Rahman's proposed visit to India to be "memorable". The remarks come amid uncertainty over the visit, scheduled for the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, following fresh strains in bilateral ties over Dhaka's demand for the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Speaking at a reception hosted by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka for leading Bangladeshi business leaders and a visiting delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Mr. Trivedi said Mr. Modi had conveyed that the two leaders needed to meet. He assured that Mr. Rahman would receive an appropriate welcome during his visit, according to a report by the news portal tbsnews.net.
"Prime Minister Modi just mentioned one thing. We need to meet. And you can tell them on my behalf that you have the prime minister of India's assurance that when the honourable prime minister of Bangladesh visits India, he will have such an honourable reception as he deserves," Mr. Trivedi said.
The envoy said Mr. Modi wanted Mr. Rahman's visit to be "memorable", underlining that stronger engagement between the two leaders would benefit both neighbours. "Ultimately, the benefit will go to people and businesses. Business people all over the world have a big role to play in bridging this gap," he said.
On the differences between the two countries, Mr. Trivedi said they should address past issues while looking ahead. "I am not telling that you forget the past, but keep the past and sort out the differences of the past. But move on. Don't get stagnant," he said. He described differences as natural between "vibrant democracies" and said these could be addressed through dialogue and engagement.
He stressed that mutual trust would be essential for a durable relationship. "The foundation of any long-lasting relation is mutual and unconditional trust," the envoy said. Highlighting India's "Neighbourhood First" policy, Mr. Trivedi said the two countries had gone through "hiccups" but should not allow differences to undermine their broader relationship.
Referring to the younger generation in Bangladesh, Mr. Trivedi said India wanted to work with the "new Bangladesh" to create greater opportunities for its youth. "This is a new Bangladesh. And this new Bangladesh has the youth. And youth has also gone through a lot of struggles and a lot of sacrifice. So, our objective obviously [is] to have peace and prosperity and the youth must get that opportunity," he said.
He said India and Bangladesh shared history, culture and aspirations. "We don't only share border, we share dreams, we share aspirations and equality," he said, underlining the importance of people-to-people relations.
Mr. Trivedi also called for greater involvement of businesses in strengthening bilateral ties, saying the private sector had an important role in creating employment and economic opportunities. He urged Indian and Bangladeshi companies to work together to expand trade and investment and contribute to a new phase in bilateral relations. The CII delegation is visiting Dhaka to explore opportunities for expanding trade, investment and industrial cooperation between the two countries.
The envoy said stronger economic and people-to-people ties could help create greater understanding between the two countries and support efforts to build a more stable and mutually beneficial relationship.
