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India and Bangladesh should focus on expanding trade and economic cooperation despite differences on political issues, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi said on Monday (August 24).
“Let politics take its own course, but let us move forward with business relations,” he told reporters after paying a courtesy call on Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir at the Secretariat.
Trivedi said people in both countries want jobs, better education and healthcare, improved roads, reliable electricity and greater economic opportunities. Stronger trade and business ties, he said, can play an important role in meeting those aspirations.
The Indian envoy acknowledged that bilateral relations have both political and economic dimensions, noting that political differences are inevitable in a democracy. However, he said development and an improved quality of life remain the primary concerns of ordinary people.
He stressed the importance of greater economic interdependence between Bangladesh and India, saying stronger commercial cooperation could provide a more sustainable foundation for bilateral relations.
“Bangladesh will depend on India and India will depend on Bangladesh” for development, Trivedi said, arguing that mutual dependence could help build a relationship based on trust and shared interests.
He also called for increased cooperation in the apparel sector, including joint initiatives to expand production and strengthen business ties between the two countries.
Trivedi said Bangladesh and India have large and talented young populations whose aspirations should remain at the centre of policymaking.
“People want peace. Peace brings prosperity,” he said, stressing that both countries have a responsibility to create an environment in which younger generations can pursue peace and prosperity.
The envoy also emphasised that Bangladesh and India are independent and sovereign nations and should engage with each other on the basis of equality.
“No country is bigger or smaller; both are equal,” Trivedi said, calling for bilateral cooperation based on that principle.