Khalilur meets Ajit Doval in Delhi, extends invitation to visit Dhaka

Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Khalilur Rahman met with India’s NSA Ajit Doval in New Delhi ahead of the 7th NSA-level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC). 

The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi did not disclose details of their bilateral discussions but a press release issued by the high commission in on Wednesday, November 19, mentioned that the meeting touched on CSC activities and key issues of bilateral cooperation. 

During the discussion, Dr Khalilur Rahman invited Ajit Doval to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time.

Although Dr Rahman was originally scheduled to travel to Delhi on Wednesday for the CSC conference, he arrived a day earlier following a sudden change in plans – an adjustment that has drawn attention in diplomatic circles. 

Upon his arrival on Tuesday evening, he was received at Indira Gandhi International Airport by a senior official of India’s National Security Council Secretariat.

The 7th CSC meeting will take place on Thursday at Hyderabad House, beginning in the morning and concluding after lunch. Dr Rahman is expected to return to Dhaka later the same day.

His trip comes at a time of heightened political sensitivity in Bangladesh. 

The International Crimes Tribunal recently handed a death sentence to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a case involving crimes against humanity, while discussions over her reported asylum status in Delhi have pushed Dhaka–Delhi relations into the spotlight once again.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has confirmed that the interim government is taking steps to formally request India to return Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh.