India has postponed the next round of talks with Bangladesh on consular matters.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said this on Friday.
The meeting was scheduled for next week. It will now be held on a date that suits both countries.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said this at his weekly media briefing.
A consular dialogue is a formal meeting between officials of two countries.
It deals with practical issues that affect ordinary people.
These include visas, travel arrangements, and the return of detained citizens and fishermen.
For many families, a change in visa or travel rules can change plans.
Students, workers, and families who travel between the two countries will feel this delay.
Key points
- The next consular dialogue between India and Bangladesh has been postponed.
- It will be held on a mutually convenient date, not yet announced.
- The talks were to cover visas, travel arrangements, and fishermen's repatriation.
- The ministry did not give a reason for the postponement.
Why was the meeting postponed?
The ministry did not give a reason.
Some reports linked the delay to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's wish to return home.
Hasina was ousted from power in August 2024. She has been living in India since then.
Just a week earlier, she had asked Bangladesh for a new passport and identity card so she could return.
That request was rejected.
What is the bigger picture between the two countries?
Ties have been under strain since Hasina spoke at a virtual media event in New Delhi on August 5.
- August 2024Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power and has lived in India since.
- August 5Hasina spoke at a virtual media event in New Delhi, straining ties.
- SeptemberIndia invited PM Tarique Rahman to a BRICS outreach session in New Delhi. He skipped it.
- Friday (MEA briefing)India postponed the consular talks. No new date has been set yet.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
India has said it neither organised the event nor endorsed her remarks.
Bangladesh had raised concerns with India before the event.
Its foreign ministry said the country was outraged that the event was allowed to go ahead.
Dhaka has repeatedly asked India to extradite Hasina. Jaiswal said this is a legal matter and will be dealt with accordingly.
India had invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for a bilateral visit.
He was also invited to an outreach session of the BRICS summit in New Delhi in September. Rahman skipped the summit.
It is not clear when he might visit India.
What happens next for the talks?
Jaiswal said India is ready to discuss all bilateral issues with Bangladesh.
This includes talks at the technical level, through existing mechanisms.
No new date has been announced yet.
The rescheduled talks will show whether the two sides can move forward on these practical issues.
