Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a message of greetings to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr 2026, has conveyed Delhi’s interest in writing a golden chapter in bilateral relations. India wants good relations with the people of Bangladesh. It wants the progress of the people of both countries. Even during the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) regime, India wants to further improve its historical relations with the people of BangladeshTherefore, India sent an additional 5,000 tons of diesel to Bangladesh in response to the diesel crisis caused by the war in West Asia. Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Verma said that the visa process will also be normalized very soon. Communication and kinship will increase.
In a letter sent to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman wishing him Eid-ul-Fitr, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote, “May the bonds of friendship and goodwill between our two countries grow stronger.” According to a report by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), at the end of his greetings, he reiterated his highest respect and best wishes to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. In a letter sent on Thursday (March 19), 2026, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote, “On behalf of the people and government of India, I extend my warmest greetings to you and the brotherly people of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on the occasion of this joyful festival of Eid-ul-Fitr. At the same time, he mentioned, “For the past month, Muslims from different countries of the world, including India, have spent their time fasting and praying on the occasion of the holy Ramadan.” Amid the war all around, Modi meaningfully remarked, “The celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr reminds us of the eternal values of compassion, brotherhood and solidarity. We wish peace, harmony, good health and happiness to people across the world.
Modi also expressed his sincere congratulations after receiving the news of the victory of BNP under the leadership of Tarique Rahman in the elections. First, he expressed his feelings on the X handle. Later, he spoke to Tarique Rahman on the telephone. However, not only exchanging greetings, Modi has also been constantly giving messages of cooperation. Therefore, India has sent diesel to Bangladesh in this crisis. Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) Chairman Mohammad Rezanur Rahman confirmed the receipt of diesel. “We have an agreement with India. According to that agreement, India will supply 180,000 tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh every year through the pipeline,” he told the news agency. Diesel is easily reaching Bangladesh through pipelines. It takes less time and cost to bring diesel from India through pipelines. In addition, the availability of diesel has also increased in various areas of northern Bangladesh.
It is worth noting that in 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Bangladesh-India Friendship or Maitree Pipeline from Numaligarh Refinery in Assam to Parbatipur in Bangladesh.The total length of the pipeline is about 130 kilometers, of which about 120 kilometers are inside Bangladesh. Diesel is coming to Bangladesh during the BNP rule through a pipeline built during the Awami League regime. This is because India prioritizes the interests of the people, not the political identity of the elected government of a neighboring country.
Bangladesh’s new Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury recently met with Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Pranay Verma to discuss the ongoing energy crisis. It is learned that a formal proposal to import an additional 50,000 metric tons of diesel in the next four months using the Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline was also discussed in the meeting.
Delhi’s goal is to improve relations with Bangladesh. Because this relationship is based on historical foundations. Therefore, upon receiving the news of BNP’s victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated party chairman Tarique Rahman by posting in Bengali on social media. Later, the prime ministers of both countries spoke over the phone. He himself tweeted about the courtesy call on social media and wrote, “I am happy to speak with Tarique Rahman. This victory shows that the people of Bangladesh have confidence in your leadership.” Modi also conveyed a message about New Delhi’s relations with the new government of Bangladesh led by Tarique Rahman. He said that India stands by a democratic, developing Bangladesh. The Prime Minister said, “India and Bangladesh have many relations, and it will be possible to take them further in the interest of protecting mutual interests.”
Visa is a very important issue in bilateral relations. Bangladesh has already normalized the visa process to a large extent. Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Verma also said, ‘Visa services are becoming normal again’. The necessary process has also been started for this. Both Delhi and Dhaka are determined to bring back the golden chapter of relations. That is why Indian Lok Sabha Speaker Om Barala was present at Tarique Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony as an envoy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra ModiHe handed over Prime Minister Tarique Rahman Modi’s greetings and a formal invitation to visit India. Birla said, “India stands ready to support Bangladesh in its efforts to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive state.” In response to Modi’s invitation, Tarique Rahman wrote, “I am eager to visit India at a time convenient for both countries and participate in fruitful discussions.”
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is likely to visit New Delhi on a short visit next month. He is scheduled to travel to Mauritius to attend the Indian Ocean Conference on April 8. He may make a brief stopover in Delhi en route.
Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma met with him in February. On behalf of Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, he formally invited the Bangladeshi Foreign Minister to visit India. The improvement in relations between the two countries is evident since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office. Indian law enforcement agencies have already arrested the two main accused in the murder of Bangladeshi youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. It is learnt that based on intelligence information from Bangladesh, Faisal Karim Masud (37), a resident of Patuakhali, and Alamgir Hossain (34), a resident of Dhaka, have been arrested. The process of handing over both of them to Bangladesh has also begunThe situation on both sides of the border is now improving. There have been no reports of cross-border firing during the BNP government’s tenure.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has announced a zero tolerance policy against all forms of militancy. India also wants the same. That is why the friendship is growing. Major General Mohammad Kaiser Rashid Chowdhury, the head of Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Defence Intelligence (DGFI), recently visited Delhi. During his visit, he held meetings with several top Indian military and civilian intelligence officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. It is learnt that they also discussed exchanging information about criminals on both sides. The main objective of the discussion was to maintain peace. Both countries want to prioritize development work for the benefit of their people. Diplomatic circles speculate that Modi wanted to convey that in his Eid greetings. A golden chapter in relations is about to begin soon.
