India and Bangladesh should work together to strengthen their interdependencies and transform their geographical proximity, growing economic capabilities and future aspirations, into new opportunities for mutually rewarding cooperation.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma made the call while addressing an event at the National Defence College of Bangladesh on Monday, read a press release on Tuesday.

Verma, who was invited by the National Defence College to address the 2025 NDC course participants, spoke about India’s foreign policy and development strategy, highlighting the country’s growing engagement with the world to promote international cooperation, reforms of global governance and interests of the Global South, as well as to serve India’s quest for inclusive, sustainable and rapid national development.

As two important economies of the region, he said, India and Bangladesh are also important drivers for regional integration under the framework of BIMSTEC, whose secretariat is located in Dhaka and which envisions bridging the growth opportunities of South Asia with Southeast Asia.

The high commissioner said India will continue to seek a stable, positive, constructive, forward-looking, and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh based on mutual respect and sensitivity, with people of both countries as the main stakeholders in this partnership.

He highlighted the long-term vision of India-Bangladesh relations under India’s foreign policy priorities of “Neighbourhood First”, “Act East Policy”, the MAHASAGAR doctrine, as well as India’s Indo-Pacific Vision.