New Delhi, October 12: Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed will not attend the first-ever meeting of home ministers of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in New Delhi, with a senior bureaucrat leading the country's delegation instead. The decision comes amid strained relations between India and Bangladesh.
According to reports in Bangladeshi media, Home Affairs Senior Secretary Manzur Morshed Chowdhury is heading the delegation for the two-day meeting, which begins on Monday. Senior officials from the home and interior ministries of member countries are scheduled to meet on the first day, followed by the meeting of home ministers on Tuesday.
The reason for Ahmed's absence has not been officially specified.
BIMSTEC comprises seven member countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The regional organisation aims to strengthen economic, technical and other forms of cooperation among countries around the Bay of Bengal and its neighbouring regions.
The inaugural meeting of home ministers is expected to focus on regional security cooperation, including intelligence sharing, law enforcement coordination and joint efforts to combat terrorism and transnational crime.
Home ministers from Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka, along with Thailand's deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council, are expected to attend Tuesday's meeting.
Bangladesh's delegation is also expected to include AKM Shahidul Karim, an additional secretary in the foreign ministry responsible for SAARC, BIMSTEC and other priority issues, and joint secretary Rebecca Khan.
India-Bangladesh relations remain strained
Ahmed's decision comes against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between New Delhi and Dhaka following the ouster of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina's government in August 2024. Hasina subsequently fled to India, where she remains.
Her presence in India has become a major point of disagreement between the two countries. Dhaka has sought her extradition, while New Delhi has said the request is being examined in accordance with applicable laws and established legal procedures.
The latest development follows another notable absence from a major regional gathering. Last month, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman skipped the outreach session of the BRICS summit in New Delhi despite receiving an invitation from the Indian government in his capacity as BIMSTEC chair.
Relations were further strained after Hasina participated in a virtual media interaction from New Delhi in August. Bangladesh's foreign ministry subsequently said the atmosphere for Rahman's visit had been adversely affected by the event.
India, however, maintained that it had no role in organising the media interaction and did not endorse the remarks made about the Bangladesh government.
Against this backdrop, the absence of Bangladesh's home minister from the New Delhi meeting has drawn attention to the state of bilateral ties. However, without an official explanation from Dhaka, it remains unclear whether the decision was directly linked to the diplomatic tensions.
The meeting will nevertheless provide an opportunity for BIMSTEC members to discuss regional security priorities and strengthen cooperation across South and Southeast Asia.
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