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Bangladesh and India appear to be moving towards improvement in bilateral relations, with both sides signalling a thaw after months of strain that followed the ouster of the Awami League government in August 2024.

The first signal from India was External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s presence at the funeral of Khaleda Zia. Later, Indian Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s attendance at the oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s multiple messages to his Bangladesh counterpart Tarique Rahman, and an official invitation for a visit -- all underscore Delhi’s intent to reset bilateral ties.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal police arrested three suspects in the killing of Inquilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi.

Dhaka is also signalling positively to mend the ties, with Bangladesh missions in India resuming issuance of all categories of visas for Indian citizens in late February.

On March 20, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah called on Jaishankar, and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. It was Hamidullah’s first meeting with Indian ministers since his appointment in April 2025.

“Our conversation was focused on advancing our bilateral ties,” Jaishankar wrote on X, sharing an update on the meeting.

Hamidullah affirmed Dhaka’s readiness to work with Delhi for mutual benefits. He and Goyal discussed ways to deepen economic cooperation, advance the broader Bangladesh-India economic partnership, and address trade-related issues.

He also addressed senior military officers at the Indian Army’s War College in Madhya Pradesh on March 10, sharing his perspectives on the state of Bangladesh-India relations and ways to address existing issues.

Earlier, Kaiser Rashid Chowdhury, director general of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, visited New Delhi from March 1 to 3, marking the first official visit of a Bangladeshi high-up since the BNP assumed office.

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is likely to meet Jaishankar and several other officials during his visit to India on April 7-8 before traveling to Mauritius to attend the Indian Ocean Conference.

With India emphasising a “forward-looking and people-centric” relationship, these developments indicate both sides’ readiness to renew relations, said Lailufar Yasmin, a professor of International Relations at Dhaka University.

The BNP policymakers seem to recognise the importance In

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