February 18, 2025: Bangladesh's interim government's Foreign Affairs Advisor, Touhid Hossain, met with India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Muscat, Oman, to discuss crucial regional matters. One of the key topics of conversation was the revival of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), which has been suspended for years due to ongoing India-Pakistan tensions.

Hossain urged India’s support for the reactivation of Saarc and emphasized the need for renewing the Ganges Water Treaty, a historic agreement signed in 1996 between India and Bangladesh. He also requested the convening of the Saarc Standing Committee meeting, in hopes of restarting regional cooperation. This comes as Bangladesh's interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, pushes for stronger regional ties, especially in light of recent political changes and challenges.

Jaishankar, however, did not directly comment on Saarc in his public statement following the meeting. Instead, he focused on the broader bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh, acknowledging the importance of cooperation through other regional forums such as BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). Bangladesh is set to take over the chairmanship of BIMSTEC from Thailand, with the 6th BIMSTEC summit scheduled in Bangkok from April 2 to 4, 2025.

The two leaders also discussed ongoing challenges in bilateral relations, notably the tense situation following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024, which had led to violent incidents and attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh. This strained the traditionally close ties between the two nations. Jaishankar and Hossain expressed hope for improved cooperation, particularly with regards to border security.

India and Bangladesh share a long, 4,000-kilometer border, which has seen sporadic unrest in recent months. To address these concerns, the Directors General of Border Guarding Forces from both countries are set to meet in New Delhi from February 18-20, 2025, in their annual conference.

Despite the setbacks in bilateral relations, both sides expressed a commitment to resolving various issues through dialogue and collaboration in the coming months.