Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma held a meeting with senior leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) at the party chairperson’s office at Gulshan in Dhaka on Sunday.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed, Vice Chairman Advocate Nitai Roy Chowdhury, and international affairs committee member Shama Obaid were present at the meeting.
Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe also attended the meeting.
Shairul Kabir Khan, a member of BNP’s media cell, confirmed the matter.
This is the first formal meeting between Indian officials and BNP leaders after the fall of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime on August 5.
Following the meeting, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that that India is keen to enhance its relationship with political parties in Bangladesh.
At a press briefing, he said, “The Indian High Commissioner came to our office to discuss how to deepen and strengthen India-Bangladesh relations. They also expressed a desire to strengthen ties with political parties.”
Fakhrul emphasised that he raised key issues during the discussions, including water-sharing, border security, and stopping border killings. "We brought up our concerns, and they acknowledged awareness of these issues, saying they are working on addressing them," Fakhrul noted.
He added, "India has conveyed that they want to strengthen relations with Bangladesh and maintain positive ties with the BNP as a political party. They are eager to explore ways to foster this relationship further."
