Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain said it is too early to determine whether Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Dhaka will ease existing tensions between the two countries. Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, Hossain described the visit as a courteous gesture rather than a political event, noting that Jaishankar’s trip was brief but he attended the entire ceremony before departing.

Hossain clarified that there was no one-on-one meeting between him and Jaishankar, as the occasion did not allow for bilateral discussions. He added that Jaishankar also exchanged greetings with other South Asian dignitaries, including Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker, calling such interactions a matter of diplomatic courtesy. The adviser emphasized that their brief conversation contained no political content.

Jaishankar, along with representatives from Pakistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, visited Dhaka on December 31 to pay last respects to former Bangladeshi Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Hossain said Zia enjoyed broad respect across South Asia, and participation by regional leaders in her funeral was natural.