A brief stopover by Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Friday has fuelled speculation in diplomatic circles that he may have carried a message from India.
The speculation emerged against the backdrop of Bhutan’s close ties with New Delhi and Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Bhutan from 16-18 September.
However, there is no indication that Tobgay carried any message from New Delhi to Dhaka.
Tobgay stopped in Dhaka while travelling to Germany on a chartered flight. He was received at the airport by Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir.
The Bhutanese prime minister stayed in Dhaka for around 45 minutes before continuing his journey.
Abdul Moyeen Khan said he exchanged greetings and held general discussions with Tobgay during the brief airport meeting.
A senior foreign ministry official said there was nothing unusual about the Bhutanese prime minister using Dhaka airport as a transit point.
“Paro airport does not have sufficient refuelling and other facilities. At the same time, it is more convenient for them to use facilities in Bangladesh than in India because of the proximity,” the official said.
The official noted that Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck also used Bangladesh’s airport transit facilities last month while returning to Bhutan from Singapore.
Asked about speculation that Bhutan could have been used as a channel to carry a message from India, the official said there was no need for such a route.
“We have our mission in Delhi and India has its mission in Dhaka. We have regular contacts. If they want to send any message, they can do it through formal channels – no third party is needed,” he said.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to meet Tobgay on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.
The proposed meeting could provide an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues, including cooperation within South Asia.
