India reviving stalled bilateral mechanisms with Bangladesh: Vikram Misri

India is seeking gradually to revive and reactivate more than 40 bilateral mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation with Bangladesh that have remained largely dormant during the year and a half of the interim government.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described the effort as a cautious and carefully calibrated initiative aimed at restoring momentum to relations between the two close neighbours.

Speaking to visiting Bangladeshi journalists at the conference room of India’s Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi on Monday afternoon, Misri discussed the past, present and future of bilateral ties.

During the nearly hour-long interaction, he responded to questions on India’s approach towards Dhaka–Delhi relations, cooperation on a range of issues, as well as regional and geopolitical matters.

A delegation of Bangladeshi journalists from various media outlets is currently visiting New Delhi at the invitation of India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Such exchange visits involving Indian and Bangladeshi journalists are held annually.

Following the student-led mass uprising of 5 August 2024, which resulted in the fall of the Awami League government, the interim administration headed by Professor Muhammad Yunus assumed office.

Relations between India and Bangladesh deteriorated during this period. Although New Delhi, a close ally of the Awami League, whose activities are now banned, had earlier advocated a national election involving all parties in Bangladesh, it later welcomed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)’s victory in the 12 February election.

Indian officials have since repeatedly expressed their willingness to work positively with Bangladesh’s newly elected government.

Misri said political-level communication had already taken place with the leadership of Bangladesh’s new government and that initiatives were under way to convene meetings under various bilateral platforms.

According to him, both sides share a “general understanding” on gradually restoring institutional engagement that had lost momentum over the past year and a half.

Responding in detail to questions surrounding the presence in India of Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and India’s political position on the matter, Misri said India had worked closely with successive governments in Bangladesh, including Awami League administrations, as part of a normal diplomatic process.

Rejecting allegations that India had supported any specific political party in Bangladesh over the past 15 years, the foreign secretary said governments work with one another in the interests of their peoples.

“The electricity supplied by India to Bangladesh does not go only to the homes of a particular party’s leaders or activists — it reaches all citizens,” he remarked.

India had strongly backed Sheikh Hasina’s government during her 15-year rule. Critics have argued that India’s support for what many viewed as undemocratic actions by her administration, particularly controversial one-sided elections, contributed to growing distrust between the two countries.

Asked whether India’s policy had widened the distance between Delhi and Dhaka, Misri replied, “In the past we worked with the Awami League government. We will work with whichever government is in office in Bangladesh. That is normal. But we do not believe all our steps in the past satisfied all the people of Bangladesh. However, let me state clearly: India did not provide any support or assistance to election engineering by any political party in Bangladesh.”

Since fleeing Bangladesh in the face of the uprising, Sheikh Hasina has remained in New Delhi. Some observers fear her continued presence there could obstruct efforts to improve bilateral relations. Asked how India viewed the issue, Misri avoided mentioning her by name and said: “I do not think the issue of any individual will affect Delhi–Dhaka relations.”

He also repeatedly avoided directly answering questions on Dhaka’s request for Sheikh Hasina’s extradition following the death sentence handed down by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal over killings linked to the July uprising.

Asked about the Ganges water-sharing agreement, Vikram Misri said the treaty, due to expire next December, had functioned effectively. He added that the matter would be addressed through the existing institutional framework.

Noting that Bangladesh and India share 54 transboundary rivers, he said meetings of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) and relevant technical bodies would soon be held to discuss water-sharing issues involving the Ganges, the Teesta and other rivers.

The long-pending Teesta water-sharing agreement remains stalled due to India’s domestic political complexities. Asked whether political changes in West Bengal might create momentum for progress, Misri said: “I do not wish to speculate in advance.”

Nevertheless, he reaffirmed India’s commitment to continuing discussions on the matter.

When asked about China’s proposal for a large-scale Teesta development project, the Indian foreign secretary said India had already submitted its own proposal to Bangladesh and remained prepared to advance discussions if Bangladesh’s new government wished to pursue the matter.

China has, since last year, shown interest in establishing a trilateral forum involving Bangladesh and Pakistan. Earlier this year, Beijing also became involved in another initiative linking Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar.

However, since assuming office, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has been advocating the revival of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Commenting on the matter, Vikram Misri said: “In the past we took many steps to make SAARC effective, but the expected outcomes did not materialise. One country’s promotion of terrorism in the region caused SAARC to become paralysed. There is no reason to believe that the country has moved away from its previous position. In that context, we are optimistic about BIMSTEC as a platform for regional cooperation.”

The discussion also touched on recent controversial remarks by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding Bangladesh–India relations.

Asked about the comments, the Indian Foreign Secretary said they had been made in a specific context and that the issue had already been resolved. He declined to elaborate further.

Vikram Misri also stated that individuals residing in India without valid documentation are repatriated under an existing process, which continues to be followed.

He noted that Indian authorities had requested the Bangladesh government to verify the nationality of several suspected foreign nationals residing in India. Around 3,000 such cases from the past five years are still awaiting verification.

Misri further dismissed Indian media reports claiming that India’s Border Security Force (BSF) was considering releasing snakes and crocodiles along the Bangladesh–India border to prevent infiltration and cross-border crime.

He said the reports did not reflect the Indian government’s position.

Responding to a question regarding India’s lines of credit to Bangladesh, Misri said future cooperation would depend on the priorities of the Bangladesh government.

“Bangladesh currently holds the largest portfolio of concessional Indian credit. Some of the projects are among Bangladesh’s priorities, while others did not appear to attract similar interest previously. Our primary objective is to work in line with the host country’s priorities. If the new government identifies new priorities, we are prepared to sit down and discuss them,” he said.

The foreign secretary did not provide any specific timeline for the full resumption of Indian visa services for Bangladeshi citizens. However, he said India was working intensively to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.