Dhaka [Bangladesh], September 29 (ANI): The High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, paid courtesy calls on Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Tuesday at the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Indian High Commissioner congratulated the State Minister on his appointment.  During the meeting, they discussed bilateral issues, regional and international matters, including the just-concluded 81st UNGA in New York, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Bangladesh State Minister underscored Bangladesh's commitment to work in a forward-looking and mutually respectful way with India on issues of mutual interest and benefit of the peoples, it added. 

From India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar delivered an address in 81st UNGA High-Level Week. 

Earlier on Monday, the Chief Whip of the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament), Nurul Islam Moni, said that as a 'big neighbour', if India extends a hand to strengthen its relationship with Bangladesh, then Bangladesh is also ready to further strengthen that relationship.

Speaking to ANI in an interview, Moni said Bangladesh expects India, as a "big country" and neighbouring country, to extend its hand towards strengthening bilateral relations.

"We expect that India, as a big country, they will extend their hands to build up our relation with our country, as well as we are ready to build up our relationship with them also. So, hopefully, it will be in a good position in the near future," Moni said.

His remarks came as Bangladesh signals its readiness to strengthen engagement with India while seeking discussions on bilateral agreements and other issues affecting relations between the two neighbouring countries.

Meanwhile, on September 26, the outgoing Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah described the India-Bangladesh relationship as "organic" and rooted in mutual interdependence, stressing that differences in views and approaches should not come in the way of continued engagement and dialogue between the two countries.

Speaking to ANI, Hamidullah said the geographical proximity and deep people-to-people links between India and Bangladesh make sustained engagement essential.

"This is a relationship which, on several occasions, I have said is organic and based on mutual interdependence. It is a relationship which is in our shared interests," Hamidullah said.

The Bangladesh envoy acknowledged that, like any close relationship, India and Bangladesh can have differences in views, perspectives and approaches.

"Like any other relationship, and when we have such intimate shared geography, it is only logical that we may have differences in views, perspectives, and sometimes approaches as well, but despite those differences, we must remain engaged and carry on the conversation," he said. (ANI)