‘We are not anyone’s slaves…’ Bangladeshi Foreign Minister warns America before coming to Delhi

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is about to leave on his important visit to India. Before this tour to be held on 7th and 8th April, he has created a stir in the international circles by making a big statement regarding America. Talking on the issue of energy import, Rahman clearly said that Bangladesh is not bound by anyone for its needs. He clarified that he is free to collect resources from anywhere in the interest of the country.

Broken silence on ‘secret deal’ with America

For some time, there was speculation in the market that there was some secret agreement between Bangladesh and America regarding energy. Rejecting these discussions outright, Khalilur Rahman said that there is no such ‘secret agreement’ with America. He said that whatever agreements have been reached have already been made public. He gave this statement in a press conference held after meeting US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen.

Energy crisis and strategy of Bangladesh

On the question of energy security, the Foreign Minister said that although some technical aspects cannot be disclosed due to confidentiality, the US has assured to help Bangladesh in its energy security. When asked whether the US would help in overcoming the current crisis, he bluntly said that the government is considering several options for energy imports. Bangladesh will buy oil from the source which will be most economical and cheapest for it.

What issues will be kept an eye on during the India tour?

This is the first visit of a Bangladeshi foreign minister to India after the fall of Sheikh Hasina government. Many important issues are expected to be discussed in the bilateral talks to be held in Delhi. According to sources, both the countries can talk on topics like Ganga river water sharing, energy cooperation, normalization of visa services again and the ongoing war in West Asia. The Foreign Ministry has also held a high-level meeting in Dhaka on Sunday regarding the preparations for this visit.

Big initiative expected on Ganga water treaty

According to Indian officials, it is extremely important to speed up negotiations towards renewing the ‘Ganga Water Treaty’ of 1996. The new government of Prime Minister Tariq Rahman has also indicated that they want to complete the talks before the December 2026 deadline. This visit of Khalilur Rahman is also an indication that New Delhi is now ready to bring relations back on track with the elected government of Dhaka, which had cooled down a bit during the interim government.