Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi has said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured that Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will receive a dignified welcome befitting his status when he visits India.

He said the visit would be memorable and ultimately benefit the people of both countries.

Trivedi made the remarks at an event held at a hotel in the capital on Tuesday (August 18) night.

Recalling his meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Trivedi said he had travelled directly to New Delhi after meeting the Bangladeshi prime minister and subsequently held an excellent meeting with the Indian prime minister.

He said Modi had emphasized the need for the two prime ministers to meet.

Trivedi said, “You can tell them on my behalf that you have the assurance of the Prime Minister of India that when the Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh visits India, he will receive the kind of dignified welcome that he deserves, and it will be a memorable visit. Ultimately, the benefits will reach the people.”

The Indian high commissioner said Bangladesh and India do not merely share a border; they also share dreams, aspirations and equality.

Referring to his meeting with the Bangladeshi prime minister, Trivedi said Tarique Rahman is a man of the people. He also congratulated him on being elected with a large majority.

Trivedi said the Indian prime minister was the first to congratulate Tarique Rahman and the first to invite him to visit India. Since then, the Speaker of India has visited Bangladesh, while India’s foreign minister has also visited the country.

“We are eagerly waiting and I am very optimistic. There are some issues, there is no doubt about that. As I have said, if there are no problems, then it is not democracy; it is something other than democracy,” he said.

The Indian high commissioner further said that over the past few weeks, India had been working closely with Bangladeshi ministers on various areas of disagreement and differences. He noted that such differences should exist in a vibrant democracy.

Trivedi said India deeply understands the concerns of the people of Bangladesh. According to him, these concerns can be eased through greater engagement and meetings between the two countries.

The event was organized by the Indian High Commission in honor of leading Bangladeshi business leaders and a visiting delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).