Indian Envoy, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman Hold Courtesy Meeting In Dhaka

Last Updated:January 10, 2026, 18:36 IST

Pranay Verma met Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, highlighting India’s ongoing diplomatic outreach to BNP amid recent anti-India protests and attacks on consulates.

Pranay Verma met Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, highlighting India’s ongoing diplomatic outreach to BNP amid recent anti-India protests and attacks on consulates in Rajshahi and Chattogram. (Image: BSS News)

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, on Friday held a courtesy meeting with Tarique Rahman, the Chairman of the Bangladesh ist Party (BNP).

The meeting took place at the BNP Chairman’s office in Dhaka around 5 pm Bangladesh time, BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan said. While details of the discussions were not disclosed, the interaction is being seen as part of continued diplomatic engagement between India and key political stakeholders in Bangladesh.

BNP’s Engagements with India

The meeting adds to a series of recent interactions between the BNP and Indian officials. In March 2023, a five-member BNP delegation attended a dinner hosted by High Commissioner Pranay Verma in Dhaka. This was followed by meetings between Verma and senior BNP leaders in September 2024, signalling ongoing political outreach.

India has also extended gestures of goodwill toward the BNP leadership in recent years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed support to the family of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia during her illness. India also deputed External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to attend Khaleda Zia’s funeral. Additionally, Prime Minister Modi sent a letter to Tarique Rahman to extend condolences, underscoring New Delhi’s continued engagement with the BNP leadership.

The meeting between the Indian High Commissioner and Tarique Rahman assumes particular significance against the backdrop of recent anti-India protests in Bangladesh, where sections of demonstrators and political groups have accused New Delhi of undue interference in the country’s internal affairs and the killing of the youth leader Osman Hadi. 

India has emerged as a frequent target during street protests and political rhetoric, especially amid debates over governance, elections and regional influence, making diplomatic outreach to opposition forces all the more sensitive. This led to protests getting violent, with several of the consulate generals in cities like Rajshahi and Chattogram coming under attack, and visa services for Bangladeshi citizens being suspended.

News world Indian Envoy, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman Hold Courtesy Meeting In Dhaka

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