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Bangladesh, statement, however, did not mention any such agreement.

All three countries, however, agreed to forge cooperation on the principles of openness, inclusivity, good neighbourliness, equality, mutual trust and common development.

“It was an informal meeting. Nothing substantial was decided,” a foreign ministry official, wishing to remain anonymous, told this newspaper.

Bangladesh’s inclusion in the “trilateral cooperation mechanism” drew questions from foreign policy analysts and an economist.

Selim Raihan, professor of economics at Dhaka University, said this trilateral initiative has significant geopolitical implications and raises an important question: “Does the current interim government have the mandate to commit the country to any strategic alignments?”

He stated that the interim government is primarily tasked with overseeing important reforms and preparing for the national election; its authority to enter into long-term international agreements would be highly questionable.

Obaidul Haque, associate professor of international relations at Dhaka University, thinks China has taken the initiative considering the short tenure of the interim government in Bangladesh.

He said the trilateral initiative could be intended to recalibrate power dynamics in the South Asian region and expressed his doubts about its effectiveness in the long run.

He said it is important for Bangladesh to keep in mind the geopolitical reality.

“We have to be aware of our national interest.”

Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, who is sheltered in New Delhi, the relations between Bangladesh and India have remained strained.

On the other hand, Bangladesh’s relations with Pakistan have improved somewhat following the political changeover.

China has good relations with both Bangladesh and Pakistan -- both members of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a geopolitical project of China opposed by India and the US and its allies.

Obaidul said, “Bangladesh and China already enjoy solid trade ties. As for Bangladesh-Pakistan relations, there’s been some improvement lately -- but it’s unlikely to go much further since there’s not a whole lot of economic incentive. Plus, there’s still some historical baggage between them that hasn’t really been dealt with.”

Former ambassador M Humayun Kabir said the interim government already has a lot of work to do before the elections, and why it needed to be involved in such an initiative is not clear.

“It should have consulted the relevant stakeholders before such a trilateral meeting when we already have good bilateral relations with these countries.

“Whatever we do, we must think of the past, present and future. Prudence is better than repentance.”