Bangladesh approves 50,000-tonne rice import from India to strengthen economic ties, separating trade from political tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi.

Salehuddin Ahmed, the finance adviser for Bangladesh’s interim government, said on Tuesday that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus had taken action to improve tense relations with New Delhi while his administration was trying to build economic ties with India by keeping economic interests apart from “political rhetoric.”

After the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase met in his office, he told reporters, “The chief adviser is working to improve diplomatic relations with India, and he himself has also been speaking to various stakeholders on the issue.”

When asked if Yunus had spoken to India personally, Ahmed replied that the chief advisor “has not” but had spoken to people involved.

“Political factors do not influence our trade policy. It makes financial sense to purchase the staple from India if importing it is less expensive than buying it from Vietnam or another country, he stated.

However, the economist advisor expressed hope that bilateral relations would not deteriorate any more.

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A plan to buy 50,000 tonnes of rice from India was approved by Bangladesh on Tuesday, Ahmed added, “as a means to seek good relations.” He claimed that Bangladesh would profit from buying this rice because it would take BDT 10 (USD 0.082) more per kilogram to source it from Vietnam, a significant option, rather than India.

Ahmed’s remarks coincided with reports from diplomatic analysts that the relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi was at its lowest point since Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in 1971, with protests taking place in front of Indian and Bangladeshi missions in both capitals and other parts of the two nations, as well as frequent summonses of their envoys.

However, according to the advisor, “The situation has not reached such a bad stage.” “It may appear from the outside that a lot is going on…It can be challenging to ignore such statements, though,” Ahmed added.

He responded, “We do not want any bitterness between the two nations,” when asked if “people or external forces” were making anti-India sentiments. It is not in the best interests of either nation if someone from outside is attempting to cause trouble. However, he claimed that these instances were “creating complicated situations for Bangladesh” rather than being a representation of “national expression.”