Dhaka has asked New Delhi to change the date of the fifth Bangladesh-India consular dialogue and has requested that the meeting be held at the end of November.

Saidur Rahman, Press Minister at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, told Daily Waadaa that Dhaka made the request because officials who are due to take part in the talks have other scheduled commitments.

The Indian side had earlier fixed November 17 and 18 for the dialogue.

The Press Minister added that the request has no connection with the recent incident of a law firm making a passport request for ouster Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India on August 5, 2024 following the fall of her government during the July Uprising.

The dialogue was expected to cover cross-border issues, border management, streamlining of visa processes, repatriation of citizens detained in either country, the release and repatriation of fishermen, and mutual legal cooperation.

The consular dialogue mechanism was set up in 2017 to strengthen people-to-people contacts. It provides a regular channel of communication between the two countries on consular, visa and mutual legal assistance matters.

The fourth round was held in New Delhi on May 29, 2024. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen coordination on consular issues, visa matters, repatriation, and Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and extradition cases.

They also agreed to further strengthen the bilateral Revised Travel Arrangement to ease the movement of nationals from both countries.

Both reaffirmed their commitment to promoting people-to-people exchanges and agreed to hold the next round in Dhaka on a mutually convenient date.