Bangladesh said Sunday it wants to "reset" its relationship with India and establish a new bilateral engagement based on mutual interests, according to State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir.
Kobir told reporters in Dhaka that the relationship during the tenure of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was "uncomfortable" and that Bangladesh seeks to move toward a new relationship through bilateral discussions.
The remarks came two days after Bangladesh said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would not participate in the BRICS Summit hosted by India, stating he was not "properly invited" to the event. India had extended an invitation to Rahman to attend the summit as chairman of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, or BIMSTEC. A separate bilateral invitation had been in place since February, according to officials.
Dhaka did not formally accept either invitation, according to reports. The two-day BRICS Summit concluded on Sunday.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have been strained following 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 emphasized that Bangladesh wants bilateral discussions to form the basis of the new relationship rather than other channels of engagement. The state minister did not elaborate on specific areas of disagreement or the timeline for such discussions.