New envoy Dinesh Trivedi walks across border into B’desh to assume charge
Times of India | 13 June 2026
Kolkata: Dinesh Trivedi, India's high commissioner-designate to Bangladesh, crossed the Petrapole-Benapole border on foot on Friday noon on his way to Dhaka to begin his diplomatic assignment. He is expected to present his credentials to the Bangladesh govt next week to formally assume office.
Trivedi, a former Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MP on a Trinamool ticket, is also a former Union railway minister. He resigned from the Rajya Sabha in 2021 and quit Trinamool to join the BJP shortly after. He was selected by the Centre as a political appointee for the Dhaka post.
Accompanied by his wife, Trivedi crossed into the country around noon through the Petrapole-Benapole border check posts connecting Bengal's North 24 Parganas district to Jessore in Bangladesh. He was formally received at the border by the Indian deputy high commissioner in Bangladesh, Pawankumar Tulshidas Badhe, and deputy chief of protocol of the Bangladesh ministry of foreign affairs, Arif Mahmud.
Trivedi told the media at Petrapole that his job is to improve ties between the two nations and to enhance cooperation through people-to-people contact, particularly in areas like education, technology and health. He said that his focus would be to resolve disputes and differences through increased interaction, thereby boosting economic development in the region. "All problems can be sorted out through dialogue," he said.
The relationship between Delhi and Dhaka had been in limbo for about two years after India provided asylum to former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina in Aug 2024, following students' unrest against the Hasina govt. Despite India's efforts to stabilise relations with the interim govt of Muhammad Yunus, ties did not improve much. However, after Tarique Rahman took charge as PM in Feb, India has held multiple meetings with Bangladesh.
Although originally from Gujarat, Trivedi is well-acquainted with the customs and culture of Bangladesh. He is fluent in Bengali, having spent much of his time in Kolkata