Last Updated on January 10, 2026 9:42 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma on Saturday paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman, widely seen as the next prime minister of Bangladesh, at the party’s Gulshan office in Dhaka.
The meeting, held around 5pm Bangladesh time, was confirmed through a post and video shared on the BNP’s verified Facebook page. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed were present during the interaction. BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan said the meeting was held at the BNP chairman’s office, where several issues of bilateral interest were discussed. While the agenda remained undisclosed, the interaction is being viewed as part of India’s continued diplomatic engagement with key political stakeholders in Bangladesh, including the country’s principal opposition party. The meeting adds to a series of contacts between the BNP and Indian officials in recent years.
In March 2023, a five-member BNP delegation attended a dinner hosted by High Commissioner Pranay Verma in Dhaka. This was followed by meetings between Verma and senior BNP leaders in September 2024, signalling sustained political outreach. India has also made several gestures of goodwill towards the BNP leadership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed support to the family of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia during her illness, while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was deputed to attend Khaleda Zia’s funeral. Prime Minister Modi also sent a condolence letter to Tarique Rahman, underlining New Delhi’s engagement with the BNP leadership.
The latest meeting assumes particular significance against the backdrop of recent anti-India protests in Bangladesh. In recent months, sections of demonstrators and political groups have accused New Delhi of undue interference in Bangladesh’s internal affairs, amid wider debates over governance, elections and regional influence. India has frequently figured in street protests and political rhetoric, with tensions escalating following allegations related to the killing of youth leader Osman Hadi.
The unrest has at times turned violent, with several Indian diplomatic establishments, including consulates in Rajshahi and Chattogram, coming under attack. The situation led to the suspension of visa services for Bangladeshi citizens, further straining people-to-people contacts.
Against this sensitive backdrop, Verma’s meeting with Tarique Rahman is being closely watched as a signal of India’s attempt to maintain channels of communication with all major political forces in Bangladesh amid a volatile political climate.