DHAKA, Oct 12: Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed will not attend the first-ever meeting of home ministers of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in New Delhi, with Dhaka instead sending a delegation led by a senior bureaucrat amid strained relations with India.
Home Affairs Senior Secretary Manzur Morshed Chowdhury is heading the Bangladeshi delegation at the two-day gathering, which begins on Monday with meetings of senior officials from the home and interior ministries of member countries. The home ministers are scheduled to hold their meeting on Tuesday, Bangla Tribune reported.
The report did not specify why Ahmed would be absent. However, the decision comes against the backdrop of deteriorating bilateral relations following the removal of the Sheikh Hasina led government in August 2024. Hasina subsequently fled to India, and her continued presence there has become a major point of contention between Dhaka and New Delhi.
BIMSTEC brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The regional organisation seeks to strengthen economic, technical and security cooperation among countries surrounding the Bay of Bengal and neighbouring areas. Bangladesh assumed the grouping’s chairmanship in April 2025.
The inaugural meeting of home ministers is intended to deepen regional coordination on security matters, including counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, law enforcement and the prevention of transnational crime.
According to a report by Dhaka Tribune, the Bangladeshi delegation will also include AKM Shahidul Karim, an additional secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for SAARC, BIMSTEC and other priority matters, and Joint Secretary Rebecca Khan.
Representatives from across South and Southeast Asia are expected to participate in the discussions. Those expected to attend Tuesday’s meeting include Bhutan’s home minister, Myanmar’s union minister for home affairs, Nepal’s home minister, Sri Lanka’s minister for public security and parliamentary affairs, and Thailand’s deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council, the UNB news agency reported.
Ahmed’s absence comes after another high-profile engagement between the two countries failed to secure participation from Bangladesh’s top leadership. Last month, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman skipped the outreach session of the BRICS summit in New Delhi despite an invitation from the Indian government. The invitation had been extended to him in his capacity as BIMSTEC chair.
The diplomatic relationship has remained under pressure since Hasina’s departure from Bangladesh. Dhaka has repeatedly sought her extradition, while New Delhi has said the request is being examined under applicable laws and established legal procedures.
Hasina’s public engagements from India have added to the disagreements. In August, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said the atmosphere surrounding Rahman’s proposed visit had been “vitiated” by a virtual press interaction held by Hasina in New Delhi during the same month.
India has maintained that it had no role in organising the media event and does not endorse statements made there about the Bangladeshi government.
Despite the political differences, the BIMSTEC meeting provides an opportunity for member states to discuss shared security challenges and improve cooperation across the region. Issues such as terrorism, organised crime and cross-border criminal networks require coordination among governments, intelligence agencies and law enforcement authorities.
The absence of Bangladesh’s home minister is likely to draw attention because the country currently holds the grouping’s chairmanship. However, Dhaka’s decision to send a senior administrative official ensures that it will still be represented in the discussions.
The extent to which the diplomatic tensions affect broader regional cooperation remains to be seen. The meeting is expected to focus on practical security priorities involving all seven member states, even as bilateral differences continue to shape India-Bangladesh relations.