India and Bangladesh are quietly rebuilding their security ties amid efforts to normalise relations following recent political turbulence in Dhaka, reported Hindustan Times.

A senior Bangladeshi military intelligence official, Maj Gen Kaiser Rashid Chowdhury, visited New Delhi late last month for high-level meetings with key Indian counterparts.

Chowdhury, freshly promoted to head the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) on 22 February as part of a major shake-up in the Bangladesh Army's hierarchy, arrived in the Indian capital shortly afterwards.

His trip coincided with an annual security conclave held on the margins of the Raisina Dialogue, hosted by India's National Security Council Secretariat since 2022.

During the visit, Chowdhury engaged in bilateral discussions with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and the Director General of Military Intelligence, Lt Gen RS Raman. He was also hosted for a private dinner by Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Parag Jain, underscoring the discreet nature of these engagements.

No official readouts were issued by the Indian side regarding the conclave or the bilateral meetings. These marked the first such high-level security interactions since the BNP-led government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman assumed power following Bangladesh's general election last month.

The meetings are viewed as a step towards mending ties strained during the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus. Discussions reportedly centred on reviving dormant communication channels—suspended since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's administration in August 2024—and measures to prevent either nation's territory from being exploited by anti-bilateral interests.

On the Bangladeshi side, Chowdhury's visit remained entirely under wraps. Some local media speculated he had travelled to New Delhi for medical reasons, highlighting the low profile maintained by Dhaka.

Bangladeshi reports on Monday linked the visit to the arrest in West Bengal of two Bangladeshi nationals accused in the murder of radical student leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Hadi succumbed in a Singapore hospital on 18 December, a week after being shot in Dhaka.

The arrestees, Faisal Karim Masud (37) and Alamgir Hossain (34), were detained by Kolkata Police. Bangladesh's deputy high commission in Kolkata confirmed it had been notified and requested consular access.

Segments of Bangladeshi media, citing the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) directorate, attributed the arrests to intelligence shared by Bangladesh with Indian authorities. However, sources from both nations cautioned against directly linking the detentions to Chowdhury's trip, describing them as part of broader cooperation efforts.

India has signalled urgency in repairing ties with the BNP regime. National Security Adviser Doval maintained contact with Khalilur Rahman, now Bangladesh's foreign minister, during the transition.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met BNP leader Tarique Rahman in Dhaka on 31 December last year, attending the funeral of Rahman's mother, former premier Khaleda Zia. Jaishankar also delivered a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India's presence at Rahman's inauguration last month included Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, further indicating Delhi's commitment to engagement.

These developments reflect a pragmatic approach by both sides to stabilise security relations, potentially paving the way for deeper collaboration on shared concerns like border management and counter-terrorism.

Hindustan Times