India’s High Commissioner To Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi Gets Cabinet Minister Rank As Visa Services Resume

New Delhi: The central government has conferred Union cabinet minister status on India’s high commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi. The Centre's decision is reportedly aimed at underlining the diplomatic weight of the posting at a sensitive juncture in bilateral ties. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order on Wednesday stating that Trivedi “has been assigned the equivalent status of Union Cabinet Minister in the Table of Precedence as a measure personal to him, without amending the Table of Precedence”.

The ministry clarified that the position in the “Table of Precedence” is for "ceremonial functions only”, meaning the elevation does not change the formal order of precedence beyond protocol events. The 76-year-old veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Dinesh Trivedi, who is also a former Union minister, presented his credentials to Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin in Dhaka on Thursday, formally beginning his assignment.

The appointment and ceremonial elevation come as both countries seek to repair relations that deteriorated sharply after the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024 and the installation of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration. New Delhi’s decision to send a seasoned politician to Dhaka signals intent to stabilise engagement, and Trivedi wasted little time in announcing a confidence-building measure for ordinary citizens.

Trivedi was appointed India’s high commissioner to Bangladesh on April 27, succeeding Pranay Kumar Verma, a 1994-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). The MHA order granting him cabinet-level precedence applies only to ceremonial occasions and does not alter the Table of Precedence. The officials stated that the step reflected the Centre’s decision to accord greater protocol weight to the Dhaka mission during a period of strained ties.

Visa Services Resume After 2-Year Halt

Meanwhile, hours after presenting his credentials, Trivedi made his first public appearance at the Indian Visa Centre in Dhaka. At the centre, he announced that India would resume general travel visas for Bangladeshi nationals, a service that had been suspended for nearly two years. The halt came amid heightened security concerns and frayed ties with New Delhi during the interim regime in Dhaka. “I am very happy to be able to announce the launch of general travel visas again. Visa applications can be submitted starting June 28,” Trivedi said.

The resumption followed a major downturn in relations after the Yunus-led interim government took charge in Dhaka following the August 2024 political upheaval. Now, by sending a veteran politician and restoring visa access, New Delhi appeared to be pushing for normalisation. Trivedi’s political background and cabinet-equivalent status are expected to help navigate the diplomatic reset as both sides look to rebuild trust and bilateral cooperation.