Bangladesh Foreign Minister On Ties With New Delhi: "Willing To Engage, Talk, And Take Initiatives"

New Delhi and Dhaka are not starting from scratch but from memory of a relationship shaped by shared rivers, shared borders, and the kind of cultural proximity that makes formal diplomacy feel almost redundant. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, speaking to NDTV in his first interview with the Indian media since the new government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman came to power, described the future of bilateral ties through the prism of what he called the "slowly but surely" concept. A reflection of this was seen during Bangladesh's National Day celebration in Delhi on March 26, when a live performance of the national anthems of the two neighbours was held in affirmation of strong ties. It was a moment worth holding on to, in Rahman's telling. Rahman described the atmosphere in New Delhi as one of convergence with the two neighbours "willing to engage, talk and take initiatives." The bilateral ties are driven by efforts on both sides for normalisation, he said, adding what was needed now was the patience to build confidence incrementally without forcing the pace.