Want to 'reset' ties with India, should be done through bilateral discussions: Bangladesh
Bangladesh's government is seeking to reset its diplomatic relationship with India, moving away from the close ties maintained during the previous administration. Officials emphasized that future engagement should be conducted through direct bilateral discussions rather than multilateral forums.
Why it matters
The shift signals a significant change in South Asian geopolitics, as Bangladesh attempts to recalibrate its foreign policy to be less dependent on India following a change in leadership.
Bangladesh on Sunday (September 13, 2026) said it wants to “reset” its relationship with India and build a new bilateral engagement based on mutual interests, while describing ties during the tenure of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as “uncomfortable”.
The remarks by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir came two days after Bangladesh said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would not participate in the BRICS Summit hosted by India as he was not invited to the event, with the invitation instead extended to the BIMSTEC chair.
The two-day BRICS Summit concluded on Sunday (September 13, 2026). India had invited Mr. Rahman to attend the summit as chairperson of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), while a separate bilateral invitation had been in place since February.
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