Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has acknowledged that relations between Bangladesh and India experienced a period of stagnation under the interim government, while stressing that bilateral ties remain strategically important and are expected to improve once an elected government takes office.
Speaking at an exchange-of-views meeting with journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, Touhid Hossain said Dhaka has consistently prioritised maintaining constructive relations with New Delhi based on mutual respect, shared interests and practical cooperation.
He said there was no disagreement within the interim government on the importance of strong Bangladesh–India relations, despite what he described as a lack of forward movement in several areas.
“This has not been a crisis,” the adviser said, characterising the situation as a temporary pause rather than a deterioration in ties. He attributed the slowdown to differing perceptions of national interest, noting that both countries have pursued their own priorities, which have not always aligned.
Touhid said the interim administration was actively working to advance key diplomatic and economic negotiations in order to ease the burden on the next elected government and ensure continuity in foreign policy.
He pointed to ongoing trade discussions with the United States and other partners, saying the government was seeking to resolve major issues rather than leaving them unfinished. Bangladesh, he said, has been engaged in negotiations aimed at reducing tariffs imposed by Washington.
According to the adviser, earlier tariff rates ranging between 25 and 37 per cent have already been brought down to around 20 per cent through continued dialogue. He noted that India and Pakistan currently face tariff rates of about 18 per cent and said Bangladesh was pushing to secure a comparable level.
Achieving such a reduction would represent a significant step forward before the transition to an elected government, he added.
Responding to questions on other international agreements, Md Touhid Hossain said negotiations with Japan and several other countries were not sudden developments but the result of sustained efforts over the past year to 18 months. Many of these talks, he said, were now close to completion.
Once concluded, the agreements would provide an institutional framework allowing the next government to move ahead more efficiently on trade and cooperation, he added.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also present at the briefing.
