External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain in Muscat on Sunday on the sidelines of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Muscat, Oman.

Jaishankar mentioned the meeting in a post on X, stating that the conversation focused on the bilateral relationship between the two countries and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

BIMSTEC includes Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Nepal. Bangladesh is scheduled to chair the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok from April 2 to 4 of this year. The meeting between Hossain and Jaishankar occurred on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference in Oman, as part of efforts to prevent strains in bilateral ties.

Ties between India and Bangladesh have been strained since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, which led to Nobel Peace laureate Mohammad Yunus coming to power.

Relations further deteriorated following attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh, causing strong concerns in New Delhi.

Bangladesh and India have acknowledged existing challenges in their bilateral relations and have discussed the necessity of working together to address them. This mutual recognition occurred during the meeting.

Hossain stressed the importance of initiating discussions for the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty and highlighted the significance of holding a meeting of the SAARC Standing Committee, requesting the Government of India's consideration in this matter.

Both sides recalled their previous meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA in September 2024 and noted the various bilateral engagements since then, including Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Dhaka on December 9, 2024, and the participation of Bangladesh's energy advisor in the India Energy Week events in New Delhi on February 10-11, 2025.

Additionally, a meeting between the Directors General of Border Guarding Forces of both countries was scheduled for February 18-20, 2025, in New Delhi, with the hope of resolving border-related issues.

ANI