Bangladesh Home Minister Skips First BIMSTEC Meeting in Delhi Amid Tensions
Bangladesh will send a senior officials’ delegation to the first BIMSTEC home ministers’ meeting in New Delhi instead of Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, amid strained relations with India.
Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed will skip the first BIMSTEC home ministers’ meeting in New Delhi, with Dhaka instead sending a delegation led by Home Affairs Senior Secretary Manzur Morshed Chowdhury.
The two-day meeting begins on Monday, October 12, with senior officials from member countries scheduled to meet before the home ministers’ discussions on Tuesday. The gathering aims to strengthen regional security cooperation across South and Southeast Asia.
Bangladesh’s delegation will also include senior officials from its foreign affairs ministry, according to reports. The country assumed the BIMSTEC chairmanship in April 2025.
Ahmed’s absence comes amid strained India-Bangladesh relations following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024. Hasina subsequently fled to India, and her continued presence there has become a major point of contention between the two countries.
Dhaka has sought her extradition, while India has said the request is being examined under applicable laws and established procedures.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman also skipped the outreach session of the BRICS summit in New Delhi last month despite receiving an invitation from the Indian government.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The grouping promotes regional economic and technical cooperation.
Officials at the meeting are expected to discuss law enforcement coordination, intelligence sharing and joint efforts to combat terrorism and transnational crime.
The meeting will proceed with Bangladesh represented by senior officials rather than its home minister, as regional security cooperation continues alongside diplomatic tensions.
