Bangladesh Home Minister Skips BIMSTEC Meeting Amid Tensions with India
Bangladesh's Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed did not attend the inaugural BIMSTEC home ministers' meeting in New Delhi, sending a delegation led by Home Affairs Senior Secretary Manzur Morshed Chowdhury instead. The two-day meeting, which began on Monday, aimed to enhance regional security cooperation among member states, including India and Bangladesh. Ahmed's absence follows strained relations between the two countries, exacerbated by the political turmoil in Bangladesh since August 2024, when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted. The meeting included home ministers from Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, focusing on law enforcement coordination and counterterrorism efforts. Bangladesh assumed the BIMSTEC chairmanship in April 2025, indicating its ongoing involvement in regional matters despite current diplomatic challenges.
Published 10 hours ago • 13 Oct 2026, 07:47 PM IST