In a significant regional security development, India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has formally invited Bangladesh’s NSA Maj Gen (R) Khalilur Rahman to New Delhi, marking a rare high-level engagement between the two neighbours amid recent diplomatic unease.
According to official sources, Khalilur Rahman will attend the 7th NSA-level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), scheduled to take place in New Delhi on November 19–20. The CSC is a regional framework involving India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Bangladesh, focusing on counter-terrorism, maritime security, cyber cooperation, and regional stability.
However, senior officials indicate that the invitation is not merely procedural. Behind the scenes, India is reportedly seeking urgent security consultations with Dhaka over a series of recent developments that have raised concerns in New Delhi. These include:
- Visits of Pakistani military officers to Dhaka,
- Expanding defence interactions between Bangladesh and China,
- The release of individuals viewed by India as “security sensitive,”
- And renewed activity along the shared border region.
Sources say Ajit Doval is pushing for direct, high-level communication with Bangladesh’s interim administration to ensure that regional security coordination remains intact. The invitation is being viewed as part of a broader back-channel diplomatic effort aimed at stabilizing ties during a sensitive period.
Diplomatic analysts argue that the move may represent the first step toward easing tensions that have built up since the formation of Bangladesh’s caretaker government. India is said to prefer using multilateral security platforms such as the CSC to quietly re-engage Dhaka while avoiding overt political signalling.
Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the NSA’s participation, noting that the caretaker government prioritises regional cooperation and intends to engage constructively on issues affecting the Indian Ocean region.
