Diplomatic Correspondent: Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi paid a courtesy call on Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan at the Secretariat on Wednesday, with the meeting taking place against the backdrop of continued efforts to strengthen Bangladesh-India relations.

The courtesy meeting provided an opportunity for the two sides to exchange views on matters of mutual interest and the longstanding relationship between the two neighbouring countries.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Trivedi said Bangladesh and India would continue to face various challenges, but expressed confidence that such issues could be addressed through direct engagement between the two countries` leaders.

“There are all sorts of problems and challenges. It would be wrong to think there will be no challenges. But when the two leaders sit together, there is no question that cannot be resolved,” he said.

The envoy was referring to the proposed visit of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to New Delhi and a possible meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Trivedi stressed that there was no need to rush the proposed visit, saying both governments and their respective teams should be given adequate time to complete the necessary preparations.

“I think we should give the two leaders and their two teams the necessary time. These things will proceed at the right time,” he said.

He said both sides were continuing to work on the proposed visit and expressed confidence that the two prime ministers of the two sovereign countries would meet at an appropriate time.

The Indian high commissioner also underlined the importance of people-to-people relations between Bangladesh and India, saying ordinary people in both countries wanted to see greater interaction between the two sides.

“What people of both countries are interested in is, let the leaders meet. Let people-to-people contact and sports continue,” he said.

Referring to the broad range of connections between the two countries, Trivedi mentioned water, cricket, football, trade, poetry, theatre, cinema and songs, describing these links as part of the wider interdependence between the two neighbours.

He said visits by Bangladesh`s prime minister to India generate considerable interest among people in India, adding that ordinary citizens on both sides attach importance to close relations between the two countries.

The high commissioner said such public interest demonstrated the depth of people-to-people links and the importance of continued engagement between Bangladesh and India.

Asked about a possible visit to Dhaka by Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Trivedi did not elaborate, saying the question had “gone over my head”.

Minister Ahmed Azam Khan described his meeting with the Indian high commissioner as a courtesy call.

The meeting between the Liberation War Affairs Minister and the Indian envoy carries particular significance in the context of the historical relationship between Bangladesh and India, which was forged during Bangladesh`s Liberation War in 1971.

Bangladesh and India have maintained extensive cooperation in areas including trade, connectivity, water resources, energy, security, culture and people-to-people relations. The two countries have also continued diplomatic engagement on a range of bilateral and regional issues.

The courtesy call thus came at a time when Dhaka and New Delhi are seeking to maintain regular high-level communication and advance their bilateral engagement through dialogue.