Bangladesh wants to ‘reset’ ties with India, calls Hasina-era relationship ‘uncomfortable’

Bangladesh wants to "reset" its ties with India and establish a new bilateral relationship centred on mutual interests, the country’s state minister for foreign affairs Humaiun Kobir said, adding that the relationship during the tenure of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina was "uncomfortable".

The remarks came days after Bangladesh said that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would not attend the BRICS Summit in India as he was not “properly invited” to the event.

Notably, India had invited Rahman for a bilateral visit and also to attend the BRICS Summit as the chair of BIMSTEC. However, Dhaka reportedly did not formally accept either invitation, HT reported earlier.

Bangladesh says it wants to ‘reset’ ties with India

Relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain over New Delhi's decision to provide refuge to Hasina, who fled to India after being ousted from office amid a youth-led movement in August 2024.

Kobir told reporters in Dhaka on Sunday that Bangladesh wants to "reset" its bilateral relationship with India.

"We want to move towards a new relationship, which should be done through bilateral discussions, not through a multilateral forum," he said.

Kobir said Bangladesh should move away from what he called an "excessive preoccupation" with India and deal with New Delhi in a more balanced way. He said the focus should remain on shared interests and be viewed as part of its broader ties with other countries.

Replying to a question, the minister said, "Breakfast in India, lunch in India, dinner in India -- then when will you eat your own food?"

"We have to get out of the India fascination. India is just another country, and Bangladesh wants good bilateral relations with it," he said.

He clarified that his earlier comments were specifically about India and the need to rebuild ties through direct talks.

“What I said was mainly applicable to India. We want to build a good working bilateral relationship with India,” he said.

Bangladesh says reviewing 101 pacts signed with India

Nurul Islam Moni, the chief whip of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in parliament, said on Friday that Dhaka was reviewing 101 agreements signed with India.

Asked whether agreements allowing ships from friendly countries to use the Chattogram and Mongla ports would be cancelled, Moni said, “We are reviewing the agreements, all 101 MoUs. You will get the outcome very soon, very soon.”

Kobir was asked about the review of the 101 MoUs. He told reporters that the agreements were being examined as part of the parliamentary process, Bangladesh's The Daily Star reported.