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Bangladesh will send senior officials to the first BIMSTEC home ministers meeting in New Delhi instead of Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. The decision underscores strained India-Bangladesh ties as regional security cooperation comes under focus.
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Dhaka,Oct 12, 2026 11:00 IST
Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed will not attend the first BIMSTEC meeting of home ministers in New Delhi, where Dhaka will instead be represented by a delegation led by Home Affairs Senior Secretary Manzur Morshed Chowdhury. The two-day meeting begins on Monday with senior officials from the home and interior ministries of member states, while the home ministers are scheduled to meet on Tuesday.
Ahmed's absence comes at a time of strained ties between India and Bangladesh. The move follows a downturn in relations after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024, after which Hasina fled to India. Last month, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had also skipped the outreach session of the BRICS summit in New Delhi despite an invitation from the Indian government in his capacity as BIMSTEC chair.
Bangla Tribune reported that Chowdhury will lead the Bangladesh delegation. According to Dhaka Tribune, the delegation will also include AKM Shahidul Karim, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dealing with SAARC, BIMSTEC and other priority issues, and Joint Secretary Rebecca Khan. Bangladesh assumed the BIMSTEC chairmanship in April 2025.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, or BIMSTEC, comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The grouping aims to promote economic and technical cooperation among countries bordering the Bay of Bengal and in its neighbourhood. The inaugural meeting of BIMSTEC home ministers is intended to strengthen security cooperation across South and Southeast Asia and the Bay of Bengal region. Representatives are expected to review regional security cooperation and discuss ways to improve coordination in law enforcement, intelligence sharing and efforts to combat terrorism and transnational crime. UNB reported that Bhutan's home minister, Myanmar's union minister for home affairs, Nepal's home minister, Sri Lanka's minister for public security and parliamentary affairs, and Thailand's deputy secretary-general of the Security Council are expected to attend Tuesday's meeting.
Hasina's presence in India has emerged as a major point of contention between the two countries. Dhaka has been seeking her extradition, while India has said the request is under examination in line with applicable law and established legal procedures. In August, Bangladesh's foreign ministry said the atmosphere for Rahman's visit had been "vitiated" by Hasina's virtual press interaction in New Delhi that month. India has said it had no role in that media event and does not endorse anything said at the forum about the Bangladesh government. Overall, the New Delhi meeting will go ahead with Bangladesh represented by senior officials rather than its home minister, against the backdrop of regional security discussions and continuing strains in India-Bangladesh ties.
With PTI Inputs
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