Pranay Verma calls for stronger India-Bangladesh economic, strategic ties

High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma on Tuesday stressed the need for India and Bangladesh to strengthen their economic and strategic ties by transforming their geographical proximity and growing capabilities into new opportunities for cooperation.

he stressed this while speaking to participants of the 2025 National Defence College (NDC) course at the National Defence College of Bangladesh on Tuesday.

During his address, Verma outlined India’s foreign policy and development strategy, emphasizing India’s increasing engagement with the international community. He highlighted India’s efforts to promote global cooperation, advocate for reforms in global governance, support the interests of the Global South, and pursue inclusive, sustainable national development.

Verma also spoke about the long-term vision for India-Bangladesh relations, rooted in India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy, the “Act East Policy,” the MAHASAGAR doctrine, and the Indo-Pacific Vision.

He noted that both countries play a significant role in regional integration under BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation), whose secretariat is based in Dhaka. BIMSTEC aims to connect South Asia with Southeast Asia to enhance growth and development.

Concluding his remarks, Verma reiterated India’s commitment to maintaining a stable and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh, based on respect and sensitivity, with people of both countries as the main stakeholders.