By Admin 
Salehuddin Ahmed, finance advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh, said on Tuesday (23 December 2025) that Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus has taken steps to improve strained relations with New Delhi and his administration is working on developing economic ties with India while keeping economic interests separate from ‘political rhetoric’.
Ahmed told reporters after the meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on Government Procurement in his office, ‘The Chief Advisor is working on improving diplomatic relations with India and he himself is talking to various concerned parties on this subject.’ When asked whether Yunus had spoken directly to India, Ahmed said the chief advisor had “no”, but he had spoken to people associated with the matter.
Bangladesh will buy 50,000 tonnes of rice from India
Ahmed said, ‘Our trade policy is not driven by political considerations. If importing rice from India is cheaper than importing it from Vietnam or anywhere else, then it is economically logical that we buy this staple food grain from India. Ahmed expressed hope that bilateral relations will not deteriorate further. He also said that Bangladesh on Tuesday approved a proposal to buy 50,000 tonnes of rice from India, ‘taking steps towards building good relations’. He said that importing this rice will be beneficial for Bangladesh because importing rice from Vietnam instead of India will cost 10 Bangladeshi Taka (0.082 US dollars) more per kilogram.
India-Bangladesh relations reach worst level since 1971
Ahmed’s comments come at a time when diplomatic analysts have said that relations between India and Bangladesh are at their lowest level since Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in 1971. Both countries have summoned each other’s envoys and protests have taken place in front of the Bangladeshi and Indian missions in both the capitals and elsewhere. Despite this, the advisor said, ‘The situation has not reached such a bad stage.’
Are external forces spoiling the relationship?
Ahmed said, ‘From the outside it may seem that a lot is happening… However, there are some statements which are difficult to stop.’ When asked whether ‘people or external forces’ were making anti-India statements, he said, ‘We do not want any bitterness between the two countries. If someone from outside is trying to instigate problems then it is not in the interest of any country. He also said that these incidents do not represent ‘national expression’ but are creating ‘complex situations for Bangladesh’.