The Centre has granted High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi a status equivalent to that of a Union Cabinet minister, PTI reported on Thursday, citing officials.
The decision elevates the protocol rank of the Indian envoy in Dhaka and underscores the importance New Delhi attaches to its diplomatic engagement with Bangladesh, according to the officials cited by PTI.
No further details were immediately available. PTI reported that the move grants Trivedi status equivalent to a Union Cabinet minister.
Dinesh Trivedi is a veteran politician and former Union minister who was appointed as India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh in April 2026, marking a departure from the long-standing practice of appointing career diplomats to one of New Delhi's most strategically significant diplomatic postings.
Born on June 4, 1950, Trivedi has had a parliamentary career spanning more than three decades. He served as a member of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, representing West Bengal's Barrackpore constituency in the lower house from 2009 to 2019. Earlier, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha for two terms between 1990-96 and 2002-08.
Trivedi served as Union Railway Minister and earlier as Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare in the Manmohan Singh-led government. He was recognised for his legislative contributions with the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for 2016-17 and has also chaired the Indo-European Union Parliamentary Forum and other parliamentary forums.
A long-time leader of the All India Trinamool Congress, Trivedi resigned from the party and his Rajya Sabha seat in February 2021 before joining the Bharatiya Janata Party the following month.
His appointment as High Commissioner to Bangladesh is seen as an unconventional but strategic choice, with the government citing his deep roots in West Bengal and understanding of cross-border issues as important strengths in managing ties with Dhaka during a politically sensitive period.
