Dhaka, February 18 – Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the chief of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Shafiqur Rahman, and conveyed India's greetings to the Leader of the Opposition on his new role, and reaffirmed New Delhi's enduring support for Dhaka.
The meeting took place on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Bangladesh.
Misri and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla represented India at the event.
In a post on X, the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh said, "Indian Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri had a courtesy meeting with the leader of the opposition of Bangladesh and the Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Dr Shafiqur Rahman, on the margins of the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Bangladesh."
Misri emphasized the people-centric nature of India-Bangladesh relations, while the Jamaat chief expressed hope for further strengthening the ties.
"The Foreign Secretary conveyed greetings to Dr Rahman on his new role and reaffirmed India's enduring support to Bangladesh, underscoring the people-centric nature of the ties. Dr Shafiqur Rahman highlighted the deep civilizational bonds shared by the two countries and expressed hope for stronger bilateral relations," the Indian mission added.
Earlier, in its election manifesto, the Jamaat had pledged to pursue peaceful and cooperative relations with neighboring countries, including India, based on "mutual respect and fairness."
The 13th parliamentary elections were held alongside the referendum on the July National Charter on February 12 in 299 out of the country's 300 constituencies.
In the elections, the BNP won 209 parliamentary seats, while the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats.
BNP's chairman, Tarique Rahman, took oath as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Tuesday, marking nearly two decades of the party returning to power. He is also the first male Prime Minister of Bangladesh in 35 years.
Even though the Jamaat did not win the elections, the radical Islamist party is the largest Opposition party in the Parliament.
