India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs held a special closed-door session to deliberate on ways to restore and advance relations with Bangladesh, amid growing regional challenges and a diplomatic chill between the two neighbors, local media reports.
Chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, the meeting involved a two-and-a-half-hour discussion with four eminent experts on South Asian geopolitics and diplomacy.
The session focused on the current state of India-Bangladesh relations and strategies to regain lost diplomatic ground.
Among the invited experts were former National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das, retired Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain, and Amitabh Mattoo, Dean of the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, all participating lawmakers expressed genuine interest and empathy regarding bilateral tensions and emphasized the importance of rebuilding trust and forward-looking cooperation.
There was a shared understanding that the relationship with Bangladesh should not be viewed through the same lens as India`s ties with Pakistan, despite recent setbacks.
Since the political transition in Bangladesh in mid-2023, which saw former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ousted amid mass protests and later take refuge in India, bilateral relations have faced significant strain.
Against this backdrop, the parliamentary panel convened to explore diplomatic pathways to mend the rift.
A key takeaway from the meeting was the recognition of the shared cultural and linguistic heritage between India and Bangladesh—especially via West Bengal—as a foundation for renewed public diplomacy.
Lawmakers proposed enhancing cultural ties through what was described as a “soft launch” of cultural diplomacy led by West Bengal. This approach would capitalize on the common legacy of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, and promote deeper people-to-people connectivity.
Recent engagements, such as a meeting between Bangladesh’s High Commissioner M. Riaz Hamidullah and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on June 23, were viewed as positive steps toward subnational cooperation or “para-diplomacy.”
The committee also raised concerns about China’s growing influence in Bangladesh, issues of illegal migration from Bangladesh into India, and a recent trilateral meeting held in Kunming on June 19 involving officials from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and China.
Overall, the session reflected a strategic rethinking by Indian policymakers, aiming to recalibrate ties with Bangladesh and counter shifting regional dynamics through a combination of diplomacy, cultural outreach, and regional engagement.
