PORIMOL PALMA

Irregular migration may become the key sticking point in efforts to further improve Dhaka-Delhi ties, which were under severe strain during the Yunus-led interim government rule.

The issue, which was the central theme of BJP’s campaign in the recent elections in West Bengal and Assam, continues to dominate public discourse in the Indian states neighbouring Bangladesh.

The BJP has won the elections by a landslide.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah flew to Dhaka yesterday to consult the political leadership on how to engage with the Indian government on the issue, foreign ministry officials said.

“Irregular migration is a sensitive issue. So, it is important to get direction from the political leadership on such matters,” a foreign ministry official, requesting anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic, told this correspondent yesterday.

Bangladesh-India ties soured badly in the aftermath of the fall of the Awami League regime in August 2024. India’s sharp reduction in visas for Bangladeshis, trade restrictions, media rhetoric and political statements -- all pointed to that shift.

Under the interim government, the number of push-ins also increased.

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