India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, met with the newly elected BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman in Dhaka. The 40-minute meeting was described as a courtesy call by the BNP. Rahman, who has been acting chairman since 2018, was formally appointed after the death of Khaleda Zia. The BNP is a leading force ahead of upcoming elections, which will be contested without the Awami League, whose leader Sheikh Hasina is in New Delhi. India reportedly views the BNP as a potentially more liberal alternative for maintaining ties, despite past strained relations.