Ganga water sharing, visas, vitality cooperation seemingly on agenda for Bangladesh FM go to

Sharing of river water, vitality cooperation, the normalisation of visa companies, and the struggle in West Asia are all anticipated to function in bilateral talks with Bangladesh Overseas Minister Khalilur Rahman, who is predicted to go to India this week, in line with diplomatic sources.

This would be the first go to by a Bangladeshi Overseas Minister for the reason that fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Authorities in Dhaka on August 5, 2024, pushed bilateral relations downhill. In preparation for the go to, The Bangladeshi Overseas Ministry held inner conferences on Sunday (April 5, 2026) in preparation for the go to, which is prone to happen between April 7 and eight, sources in Dhaka mentioned.

Ganga treaty renewal talks

Indian officers mentioned it is very important fast-track negotiations to resume the Ganga water treaty of 1996, noting that subcommittees constituted for this objective didn’t make a lot progress throughout the fifteen-month-long tenure of Dhaka’s interim authorities headed by Chief Adviser Mohammed Yunus. The newly elected authorities of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who was sworn into workplace on February 17, has, nonetheless, indicated that it’s prepared to take the dialogue ahead and conclude negotiations forward of December 2026, the deadline for treaty renewal.

Bangladesh Water sources Minister Shahid Uddin Choudhury Anee mentioned on April 1 that the technical committee on the topic has began its work in Dhaka. Bangladeshi diplomatic sources have additionally hinted that, if mandatory, momentary renewal of the treaty could be tried earlier than the 2 sides decide to a long-term renewal. It’s understood that each New Delhi and Dhaka are strolling a tightrope in view of the upcoming Meeting election in West Bengal, the place the sharing of the waters of the Ganga may turn into a political subject.

‘Transiting via Delhi’

Mr. Rahman’s go to additionally signifies New Delhi’s willingness to interact with an elected authorities in Dhaka. A number of points, together with Ms. Hasina’s presence in India and continued mob violence in opposition to Indian missions and visa centres, had solid a shadow over India-Bangladesh ties throughout the interim authorities’s tenure. Mr. Rahman, who served because the Nationwide Safety Adviser underneath Professor Yunus, is among the few officers of the interim authorities who managed to retain important positions within the elected authorities of the Bangladesh Nationalist Social gathering (BNP).

Given the fragile situation of bilateral relations, the Indian aspect has not but introduced the go to, and sources in Dhaka have described the go to as “transiting via Delhi” earlier than Mr. Rahman proceeds to the Indian Ocean Convention in Mauritius that’s being organised by the India Basis, in affiliation with the Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) and the federal government of Mauritius. Official sources, nonetheless, have indicated that in his keep in Delhi, Mr. Rahman will meet his counterpart Exterior Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and different senior officers, senior editors, and Delhi-based diplomats.

Vitality insecurity challenges

The struggle in West Asia and the resultant vitality insecurity that has emerged as a significant problem for the Tarique Rahman authorities is among the points that’s anticipated to function prominently in talks as properly. On March 10, India despatched 5,000 metric tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh via the Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday (April 2, 2026) gave an replace on the India-Bangladesh vitality dialogue, saying, “We now have acquired a request from the federal government of Bangladesh for provide of diesel which is being examined.”

Additionally learn: Neighbourhood diplomacy and its West Asia problem

Bangladeshi diplomats have additionally highlighted the necessity to normalise the Indian visa course of for Bangladeshi vacationers and enterprise folks as a excessive precedence for Dhaka.

Overseas Minister Mr. Rahman, who had additionally served as Prof. Yunus’s Excessive Consultant on the ‘Rohingya Disaster and issues of precedence’, has been a champion of the so-called “humanitarian hall” between Chittagong and the Rakhine province of Myanmar, which had witnessed an navy junta-organised election throughout December 2025 and January 2026. Mr. Rahman has been supportive of better worldwide coordination, involving associate nations in South Asia and past, to take care of the Rohingya disaster.