Bangladesh seeks ‘new canvas’ in ties with India, says envoy
Times of India | 4 December 2025
Kolkata: Days after Bangladesh said its bilateral ties with India will not be stuck on one issue, the country's high commissioner in India Muhammad Riaz Hamidullah on Wednesday said the country is trying to "articulate a new canvas" where India and Bangladesh have a shared future. This comes after PM Narendra Modi reached out to Bangladesh and promised "all possible support" for the ailing former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia, leaving hints of ice melting between New Delhi and Dhaka.
Hamidullah, who joined as the Bangladesh high commissioner in New Delhi eight months ago, said, "The effort is to articulate a new canvas where we can look at a shared future. It is easier said than done but it is possible. We have divergent views and sensitive issues on the table. But that is the nature of the relationship. If we point out a particular aspect of the canvas, we will not be doing justice." He was present at an interactive session organized by the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI).
Calling the India and Bangladesh relationship "organic" Hamidullah said both countries are growing very fast and "economic engagement" between the two countries is more than $25 billion keeping sectors like tourism in consideration. "If you see Bangladesh's import profile and scope for expansion with new capacities being added in ports and logistics, you can see the indications," he said.
"We have not constrained the mobility of Indians into Bangladesh. Bangladesh and India's relations, as have been before, are anchored in the people in every possible sense. I qualify this as mutual interdependence," he said while pointing at RBI's Aug 2025 report suggesting a 12% increase in trade.
While not giving out details, Hamidullah said a Bengali film festival is being planned in New Delhi next year. He has also suggested facilitating tours for people in India and Bengal to their ancestral places in Bangladesh. With Dhaka increasingly leaning on cultural diplomacy, tourism facilitation and deeper economic integration, the envoy said Bangladesh is signalling a clear intent to widen the scope of engagement as both countries navigate a sensitive phase in bilateral ties.