Amidst simmering tensions, India-Bangladesh consular dialogue postponed
This would have been the fifth such consular dialogue and the first after the August 2024 uprising; postponement due to tensions over former PM Hasina’s plan to return to Bangladesh next month
NEW DELHI - The fifth India-Bangladesh consular dialogue, initially scheduled for November 17-18, has been postponed due to escalating tensions between the two nations, according to a diplomatic source. The dialogue was to be held in Dhaka, involving Director Generals of both countries' Foreign Ministries, with a focus on border management, visa procedures, and repatriation of citizens.
The postponement comes after Bangladesh ruled out issuing a passport to deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who announced her return to Bangladesh next month. India has since increased the number of visas issued to Bangladeshis, particularly following the election of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in February 2024. However, Bangladesh's Acting Foreign Minister Humayun Kabir has stated that the country will not issue a passport to Hasina and instead seeks her extradition under a prisoner exchange process.
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