Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrived in Dhaka on Monday morning amid rising tensions over reported atrocities against the Hindu community in Bangladesh.

Misri is scheduled to hold Foreign Office Consultations with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Md Jashim Uddin, later in the day. The visit comes amid concerns over the treatment of Hindus under the Mohammad Yunus regime, including the arrest of prominent Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das.

This is the first high-level diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Dhaka following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 and her subsequent flight to India after widespread anti-government protests in Bangladesh.

The visit is part of a mechanism to address bilateral issues and foster dialogue between the two countries. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the meeting last week, underscoring India’s commitment to addressing the growing challenges in its eastern neighbor.

Misri’s visit follows a meeting in September between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Md Touhid Hossain at the UN General Assembly in New York, marking the first high-level interaction after Hasina’s ouster. The discussion focused on strengthening bilateral relations in an increasingly strained environment.

India has expressed deep concerns over the rise in extremist rhetoric, growing violence, and provocations against the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Misri’s visit is expected to address these urgent issues and explore ways to stabilize bilateral relations during this period of turmoil.

The MEA has previously called on Bangladesh to take all necessary steps to protect minority communities, emphasizing that the surge in violence cannot be dismissed as media exaggerations.