Indian Envoy holds first talks with PM, Tarique Rahman

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Tripathi held his first face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday, a sit-down widely regarded as a bellwether for the trajectory of bilateral relations between the two neighbours.

The meeting got under way at 11 am at the Prime Minister's office in the Secretariat. It came a day after the envoy held preliminary talks with Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman at the state guest house Padma, in what appeared to be a groundwork session ahead of the higher-level encounter.

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According to sources familiar with the discussions, the two sides deliberated on bilateral relations, mutual cooperation and a range of issues of shared interest. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is expected to brief journalists on the outcome once the meeting concludes, offering the first substantive readout of a dialogue that many observers hope will help thaw the current diplomatic chill between Dhaka and New Delhi.