Foreign Affair Adviser of Bangladesh Md Touhid Hossain said on Sunday that Bangladesh anticipates a resolution to the ongoing trade recession with India that has persisted over the past two to three months, reports Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), a state run news agency. Speaking at a seminar in Dhaka, he expressed optimism that the issues will be resolved amicably soon, adding that Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is coming to Bangladesh on Monday.

The Bangladesh-India Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) is a standing mechanism and such a meeting at foreign secretary-level is nothing abnormal, Touhid Hossain said.

The foreign adviser noted that Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is set to arrive in Dhaka tomorrow for Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and India, where bilateral trade issues and other matters of mutual concern are expected to be discussed, reports BSS.

“If we want to solve problems, we have to first acknowledge their existence,” Hossain remarked, emphasizing the importance of frank dialogue between the neighbours. He also highlighted a qualitative shift in the Bangladesh-India relationship following the political changeover in Bangladesh on August 5.

The adviser underscored the importance of regional cooperation to boost trade, enhance economic growth, and alleviate poverty in South Asia, urging member states to overcome bilateral differences for the collective benefit of the region, reports BSS.

Earlier on Friday, during the weekly media briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The Foreign Secretary is scheduled to visit Bangladesh on the 9th of December. He will meet his counterpart, and there will be several other meetings during the visit”.

The FOC led by the Foreign Secretaries is a structured engagement between Bangladesh-India. “We look forward to this meeting,” said the MEA spokesperson.