‘Have to get out of the India fascination’: Bangladesh wants to reset ties, build good bilateral relations

Bangladesh expressed its desire to "reset" its relationship with India and establish a new bilateral engagement based on mutual interests. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir described ties during the tenure of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina as "uncomfortable".

"We have to get out of the India fascination. India is just another country, and Bangladesh wants good bilateral relations with it," he said.

Kobir stated that Dhaka aims to develop a new relationship with New Delhi through bilateral discussions rather than multilateral forums. "We want to move towards a new relationship, which should be done through bilateral discussions, not through a multilateral forum," he told reporters.

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His remarks came two days after Bangladesh announced that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would not participate in the BRICS Summit hosted by India, as he was not invited. Instead, the invitation was extended to the BIMSTEC chair. The two-day summit concluded on Sunday.

India had invited Rahman to attend as chairman 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.

India-Bangladesh relations have been strained due to New Delhi providing refuge to Hasina, who fled to India after her ouster in a youth-led agitation in August 2024.

Kobir said Bangladesh needed to move beyond what he called an "excessive preoccupation" with India and approach the relationship in a balanced manner. He emphasised focusing on mutual interests and treating ties with New Delhi as part of Bangladesh's broader engagement with other countries.

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Responding to a question, Kobir remarked, "Breakfast in India, lunch in India, dinner in India -- then when will you eat your own food?"

Kobir also said that Rahman is scheduled to travel to New York on September 21 to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly and will remain there until September 26.

When asked about a possible meeting between Rahman and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines, Kobir said such meetings at major international conferences are often decided at the last moment.

"The primary focus of the Prime Minister’s visit is to address the UN General Assembly," he said, adding that details of sideline meetings would be known in due course.