Against the backdrop of renewed strains in Bangladesh-India relations, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is moving to strengthen business-to-business engagement, with a high-level delegation of Indian business leaders scheduled to visit Dhaka on August 17-18.
The development carries significance as political and diplomatic relations between the two neighbours have faced fresh irritations in recent weeks, even as both sides have publicly expressed interest in resetting ties and expanding economic cooperation.
In two separate letters dated August 10, CII sought meetings with Industries, Textiles & Jute, and Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun during the delegation's visit.
The delegation is also supposed to meet other stakeholders during the visit, an official of the commerce ministry said.
According to the letters, the delegation will comprise senior representatives from diverse sectors and engage with key stakeholders in Dhaka to explore opportunities for strengthening bilateral economic and commercial cooperation.
"I would be grateful if the CII delegation could call on you on August 18, 2026," Chandrajit Banerjee, director general of CII, wrote separately to the minister and the BIDA executive chairman, seeking their "guidance and vision" on advancing trade, investment, and commercial engagement between the two countries.
The move by India's apex industry body comes at a sensitive juncture in bilateral relations.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said on July 29 that there were "some irritations" in Dhaka-Delhi relations and stressed the need to resolve them.
His remarks came after a meeting with India's newly appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman also called for a "conducive environment" to improve ties with India during his meeting with the Indian envoy on August 10.
The discussion included Dhaka's request for the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, whose presence in India remains one of the most sensitive issues between the two countries.
The diplomatic friction comes despite efforts since early 2026 to rebuild bilateral relations.
Some visa services have gradually resumed, while both sides have emphasised the need to restore economic and commercial engagement.
Against this backdrop, the CII delegation is scheduled to visit Bangladesh.
The visit could provide an important channel for keeping economic relations moving while the two governments address political differences.
Bangladesh's commerce minister previously said bilateral trade exceeded $11 billion, although several obstacles had emerged over the past one-and-a-half years.
Indian businesses have long viewed Bangladesh as an important market and production base.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh's export-oriented industries depend heavily on India for cotton, yarn, fabrics, machinery, and other intermediate goods.
Analysts say India remains structurally important to Bangladesh's manufacturing and export supply chains.
The CII has also advocated stronger economic cooperation.
In May, it said Bangladesh's "Bangladesh First" policy was broadly aligned with India's development experience and highlighted opportunities for deeper economic partnership.
During the upcoming visit, the Indian delegation is expected to meet Bangladesh's commerce and investment authorities to discuss trade barriers, investment, connectivity, industrial cooperation, and other business issues.
For Dhaka, the visit could offer an opportunity to raise concerns over market access, non-tariff barriers, trade facilitation, and investment, while seeking greater Indian investment.
Both sides have identified non-tariff barriers, land port infrastructure, predictable trade policies, and harmonised standards as key areas for expanding trade.
With political relations still unsettled, Indian industries appear keen to keep economic ties insulated from diplomatic tensions.
The CII delegation's visit could therefore become an early test of whether economic diplomacy can advance faster than political reconciliation between Dhaka and New Delhi.
India continues to hold a significantly more advantageous position than Bangladesh in bilateral trade.
Despite growing commercial engagement, the trade dynamics between the two countries remain heavily skewed in New Delhi's favour.
A senior official of commerce ministry said bilateral trade relations between Bangladesh and India were facing fresh strains as New Delhi imposed anti-dumping duties and non-tariff barriers on key Bangladeshi exports.
The restrictive measures targeted jute goods, hydrogen peroxide, readymade garment, and land-port apparel shipments, he added.
