Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi has expressed optimism that a meeting between Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take place soon, saying direct engagement between the two leaders could help address outstanding issues between the neighbours.

Speaking at a welcome dinner hosted by Ireland’s Honorary Consul in Bangladesh Masud Jamil Khan and his wife Kate Jaro Khan in Dhaka’s Baridhara on Sunday night, Trivedi said issues between the two countries could be resolved through meetings and continued interaction at the highest level.

“I am very hopeful that a visit to India by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman should take place much sooner,” he said, stressing that the two countries remain closely connected and that he wants to see a “golden chapter” in Bangladesh-India relations.

Trivedi said Bangladesh and India are sovereign countries with their own interests, differences and challenges, but argued that disagreements are a normal part of democracy. According to UNB, he said the two countries need space to maintain their respective positions while keeping their broader objectives aligned around dignity, respect and mutual understanding.

The Indian envoy said the two countries “do not only share a border; they really share a dream,” adding that his objective was to help create a golden period in bilateral relations.

Referring to Tarique Rahman and Modi, Trivedi described both leaders as “people’s persons” and said their shared focus on the interests of their people could create space for resolving bilateral differences. He said that when leaders of such stature meet and interact, there is no issue that cannot be discussed and addressed.

The remarks came amid renewed attention to high-level political engagement between Dhaka and New Delhi. Trivedi had earlier described his first meeting with Tarique Rahman as fruitful and said India’s invitation to the Bangladesh prime minister remained in place.

“We are looking forward. Our invitation is there in place,” he said recently, adding that differences are inevitable in democracies but good relations between the two countries should remain the common objective.

Masud Jamil Khan, meanwhile, said Bangladesh-India relations had evolved into a broad partnership covering trade and investment, connectivity, energy, education, culture, security, development cooperation and people-to-people ties. He acknowledged that challenges remained but expressed hope that both sides would address them through openness, mutual respect and cooperation.

Trivedi also highlighted the importance of people-to-people ties while addressing India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Saturday. He said the connection between the peoples of the two countries, rooted in shared aspirations and goodwill, remained at the heart of bilateral relations.

He called for continued cooperation in areas including trade, connectivity, security and healthcare, saying Bangladesh and India should work together towards shared prosperity.

The high commissioner also pointed to the historical foundations of bilateral ties, saying the two countries were deeply connected through the history of the freedom struggle and had built their relationship on shared history, mutual respect and partnership.

The welcome dinner was attended by ambassadors and high commissioners based in Dhaka, former diplomats, business leaders and former civil and defence officials.

With both sides signalling a desire for renewed engagement, a potential meeting between Tarique Rahman and Narendra Modi could provide an opportunity to discuss longstanding bilateral concerns while seeking a broader reset in Bangladesh-India relations.

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