Khalilur Rahman to meet Jaishankar, Ajit Doval during India visit

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman is set to visit New Delhi on 7 April, where he is expected to hold meetings with key Indian officials, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

Hindustan Times reports that discussions during the visit may focus on the Ganges water-sharing treaty and the possibility of importing additional fuel from India.

Although Bangladesh imports fuel from the Middle East, supply disruptions due to ongoing conflicts have prompted Dhaka to consider increasing imports from India.

Dr Khalilur will travel to New Delhi before attending the Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius.

Indian sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Bangladesh foreign minister is scheduled to meet Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on 8 April, alongside his meetings with Jaishankar and Doval.

This will be the first visit by a Bangladeshi minister to India since the formation of the government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

According to the report, Bangladesh has nominated Dr Khalilur for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly for the 2026–2027 term, and he may seek India’s support in this regard.

Bangladesh and India signed a 30-year water-sharing treaty in 1996, which is nearing expiry. In recent weeks, delegations from both countries have been conducting hydrological and technical evaluations of the agreement in their respective countries.

Indian officials said climate impacts on water flow and the involvement of the West Bengal state government are crucial factors in renewing the deal. Any new agreement would require the consent of the state government.

Sources also said Dr Khalilur is likely to discuss additional fuel supply, particularly diesel, with India, and may hold talks with Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.