India’s new High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, arrived in Bangladesh by road on Friday to formally assume his diplomatic posting at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
Trivedi and his wife Mrinal Trivedi crossed into the country around 12:00 noon through the Benapole Immigration Checkpost in Jessore’s Sharsha upazila via the Benapole land port.
He was formally received at the border by Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Bangladesh Pawan Kumar Tulsi Das and Deputy Chief of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Arif Mahmud. They welcomed the incoming envoy at the Benapole–Petrapole no-man’s land with floral greetings.
Senior officials present on the occasion included Benapole Port Director Shamin Hossain, Sharsha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Fazle Wahid, Immigration Officer-in-Charge Syed Mortuza Ali, and Officer-in-Charge of Benapole Port Police Station Ashraf Hossain, among others.
Following immigration and protocol formalities, the new High Commissioner proceeded towards his destination under tight security arrangements. He was escorted by the Deputy High Commissioner.
On arrival, Trivedi said closer cooperation was needed between the two neighbouring countries, citing shared regional realities.
“India has a population of 140 crore, and if we add another 20 crore, it becomes 160 crore. I want to work collectively, not separately. The sky is the same, the air is the same,” he said.
“We will resolve visa-related issues together. We share not only a common border but also common aspirations. Our challenges are also, in many cases, shared. There is no scope for going wrong. With mutual understanding and goodwill, every problem can be resolved,” he added.
Outlining his priorities, Trivedi said strengthening people-to-people relations would be at the core of his tenure.
“My only priority is the relationship between the people of Bangladesh and India. We are all brothers and sisters. The welfare of the people is most important,” he said.
He further observed that bilateral relations extend beyond geographical boundaries, and are anchored in shared aspirations as well as deep people-to-people ties.
Trivedi, 75, a former Indian union minister and senior BJP leader, was appointed as India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh in April.
The appointment of Dinesh Trivedi as High Commissioner to Bangladesh is considered significant, as it marks the first time India has deployed a politician to the post instead of a career diplomat.
