Bangladesh seeks more oil, fertilisers as ties with India improve

During his two-day visit to New Delhi, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday. He also met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval as the two countries set out to mend bilateral ties. During the discussion, Jaishankar said that visas for Bangladeshi citizens, especially medical and business visas, would be eased in the coming weeks, according to the Bangladesh High Commission. Rahman thanked Petroleum Minister Puri for India's recent diesel supply to Bangladesh. He also requested an increase in the volume of diesel and fertiliser supplies to Bangladesh. The two sides resolved to accept the reality of the challenges confronting them as immediate neighbours who share history, borders and water. It was agreed to set aside irritants, such as the extradition of Sheikh Hasina, former prime minister of Bangladesh, and to strengthen trade and investment ties. Dhaka is keen on having more investment in Bangladesh from India’s public and private sector as well as the revival of projects that were stalled after Hasina’s ouster. Dhaka is also seeking the reversal of increased tariffs on its shipments, especially textiles, levied in recent months at India’s inland ports. The two sides are discussing the possibility of Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman’s visit to India soon. Given the sentiments in Bangladesh, if not for his maiden bilateral visit abroad, Bangladesh’s PM could travel to India after paying a visit to Dhaka’s other smaller allies or neighbours. Khalilur Rahman landed in New Delhi on Tuesday. He was accompanied by Humayun Kabir, Adviser on Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Foreign Minister met NSA Doval on Tuesday evening over dinner. On Wednesday, Bangladesh EAM Rahman and Kabir met Jaishankar and Puri and discussed trade relations as well as energy supplies. Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, was also present during the meetings. The visit was described by the Bangladeshi side as a “signal” and “desire” to mend ties, which plummeted during the 18-month tenure of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, which took over after Hasina’s ouster in August 2024. The Bangladeshi side reiterated its request to extradite former PM Sheikh Hasina and her home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to Bangladesh since they have been given the death penalty by the International Crimes Tribunal. During his meeting with Khalilur Rahman and Kabir, Foreign Minister Jaishankar reiterated India's desire to engage constructively with the new government in Bangladesh and further strengthen bilateral ties. The Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party took office on February 17, with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attending the oath-taking ceremony. The two sides agreed to explore proposals for deepening the partnership through the relevant bilateral mechanisms. Follow-on official meetings are expected to take place at an early date, the Ministry of External Affairs said. The BNP government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would pursue its foreign policy in accordance with the principle of 'Bangladesh First' and on the basis of mutual trust and respect and reciprocal benefit, the Bangladeshi Foreign Minister said. He thanked the Indian government for apprehending the suspected killers of student leader Osman Hadi, and the two sides agreed that the arrested men would be sent back to Bangladesh in accordance with the procedures laid out in the bilateral extradition treaty.