Bangladesh-India consular dialogue postponed

The fifth round of consular dialogue between Bangladesh and India has been postponed, diplomatic sources have said.

The talks, scheduled to take place in Dhaka on 17–18 November, were to be held at the director-general level between the foreign ministries of the two countries.

Diplomatic sources said the decision to postpone the dialogue had been taken amid renewed tensions between the two sides over applications for a passport and National Identity Card (NID) by deposed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently staying in India.

The fifth round of the dialogue was planned to be hosted in Dhaka. The agenda included bilateral issues such as border management, visa procedures, repatriation of citizens detained in the two countries, the release and repatriation of fishermen, and mutual legal assistance.

Bangladesh and India initiated the consular dialogue process in 2017. Four rounds of talks have been held so far, with the most recent taking place in New Delhi in May 2024.