Indian foreign secretary Harsh V. Shringla is scheduled to travel to Dhaka on Tuesday in the first overseas diplomatic engagement since the pandemic brought travel to a halt and comes in the wake of Bangladesh officially registering its protest over some “false news” published online about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and senior members of her government.

There was no official confirmation about Shringla’s visit from either capital but the visit assumes significance because it will be his second to Dhaka since taking charge in January.

Shringla, who has served as India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, visited Dhaka in March in his first overseas visit after taking charge.

While a slew of connectivity projects have continued in line with the schedule and the two Prime Ministers have spoken during the pandemic, relations between the two countries have been frosty over the past year, particularly with Dhaka having issues about the manner in which leading lights of the Modi dispensation have vilified Bangladeshis as part of their campaign for the religionspecific citizenship law.

Apart from having questions about what will happen to those left out by the NRC process despite India maintaining that Bangladesh will not be affected, recent months have also seen Dhaka engaging more intensely with both Pakistan and China.