The Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma has expressed optimism that the two countries can maintain friendly ties despite the changes happening, noting that both Delhi and Dhaka can offer each other things that no other nation can.
“This is how we look at the relationship. We have so many things to offer each other with our growing capabilities and rising ambitions to grow and develop,” he said, reiterating India’s support for a “democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive and inclusive Bangladesh,” according to UNB.
Verma made his remarks during an interaction with diplomatic correspondents at the High Commission yesterday evening, following their participation in a two-phase training programme in New Delhi.
“We need to look at our relationship with mutual sensitivity – sensitivity to each other’s interests, each other’s concerns and aspirations,” said the high commissioner.
He also highlighted that both countries have a significant stake in each other’s progress and prosperity.
He underscored India’s commitment to fostering a “positive, stable, and constructive” partnership with Bangladesh, emphasising a forward-looking, mutually beneficial approach.
“It has to be a mutually beneficial relationship. We also believe that people are the key stakeholders in this relationship. Our cooperation strongly benefits the common people on both sides,” he stated.
The High Commissioner also said that any notion that diplomatically things have slowed down is inaccurate and that they are working to take the relations forward.
He referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to the Bangladesh interim government’s Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus, later their telephone conversation, and the PM’s invitation to Yunus to join the third Voice of Global South Summit hosted virtually by New Delhi on August 17.
He also referred to the meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Bangladesh counterpart Md Touhid Hossain on the sidelines of the UNGA and the recently held Foreign Office Consultations at the foreign secretary-level to give a sense that things have not slowed down.
Pranay Verma said there is significant robustness in the relations and added that essential commodities are coming to Bangladesh from India.
He said there are still more visas being issued than “probably all other embassies put together” in Bangladesh.
Laying emphasis on transforming geographical proximity to new economic opportunities, Verma said that he sincerely believes that the fundamentals of the bilateral relationship are strong enough to move things forward despite the various changes that have taken place.
The High Commission of India organised the weeklong training programme in India for the members of Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) and other journalists in two phases this year.
