India appoints Dinesh Trivedi as envoy to Bangladesh amid improving ties

NEW DELHI: India on Monday named veteran politician Dinesh Trivedi as its next high commissioner to Bangladesh, in an uncommon move that places a non-career diplomat in the post as New Delhi seeks to repair relations with its eastern neighbour.

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Trivedi is expected to assume the assignment soon. In a statement, the ministry said “He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.”

Trivedi, 75, is a former railways and health minister. He joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party in 2021 after leaving a regional party in West Bengal. The border state is considered important in India’s relationship with Bangladesh, and Modi has been trying to widen his party’s footprint there during ongoing local elections.

The appointment comes as India attempts to rebuild confidence with Bangladesh after a period of strained ties. Relations deteriorated after a popular uprising in 2024 forced Bangladesh’s long-serving prime minister Sheikh Hasina to leave the country for New Delhi, where she is still staying.

The choice of Trivedi also underlines India’s effort to restore trust with Bangladesh at a time when it is facing strong competition from China for influence and commercial opportunities.

Relations improve after political change in Dhaka

Ties between the two countries began to improve only after Bangladesh’s February election brought Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to power. He replaced an interim administration that had moved sharply closer to China.

Earlier this month, Bangladesh’s foreign minister travelled to New Delhi for talks and sought greater fuel and fertiliser supplies from India, along with stronger energy cooperation and relaxed travel restrictions.

Despite the recent improvement in engagement, one of the main unresolved issues remains India’s refusal so far to extradite Hasina.

India and Bangladesh share deep geographic and political links, and developments in West Bengal often carry significance for bilateral relations. Against that backdrop, Trivedi’s political experience and his association with the state are likely to be closely watched as he takes up the diplomatic role.

The appointment stands out because such postings are usually given to officers from the foreign service. In this case, however, New Delhi has chosen a senior political figure as it works to reset a relationship that had come under strain and is now showing signs of recovery.