Indian and Bangladeshi NSAs hold rare talks amid strained ties

New Delhi: India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met his Bangladeshi counterpart, Dr. Khalilur Rahman, in New Delhi on Tuesday, a closely watched meeting that comes just one day after a Dhaka court sentenced exiled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death and led to renewed calls for her extradition from India.

The bilateral meeting took place ahead of the seventh NSA-level Meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), hosted by India, that will be attended by counterparts from Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Mauritius.

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In an official statement, the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi described the discussion as constructive. “Bangladesh delegation to the Seventh NSA-level Meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), led by the National Security Adviser, Dr Khalilur Rahman, met with the National Security Adviser of India, Mr Ajit Doval, and his team today in Delhi,” the statement read. “They discussed the work of CSC and key bilateral issues. Dr. Rahman invited Mr. Doval to visit Bangladesh at his convenience.”

Dr. Rahman arrived in the Indian capital on Tuesday evening for the two-day conclave that began Wednesday and focuses on maritime domain awareness, counterterrorism, and disaster response. Maldives is represented by NSA Ibrahim Latheef, Mauritius by NSA Vivek Johri, and Sri Lanka by Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Sampath Thuyacontha.

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The meeting marks the highest-level contact between New Delhi and Dhaka since PM Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s interim government’s Chief Adviser Mohd Yunus met in Bangkok on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit. Relations have remained frosty, with Bangladesh accusing India of sheltering the ousted leader and India expressing concern over rising anti-India sentiment and the safety of the Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

Before Dr. Rahman’s departure, the Yunus administration signalled that regional cooperation remains a priority. An earlier government announcement stressed that Bangladesh had “actively participated in meetings of various regional bodies,” a message apparently intended to reassure neighbours that Dhaka seeks to maintain regional connect.