Bangladesh has canceled a planned judicial training program in India, involving several of its top judicial officials. The program, scheduled to take place from February 10-20 at India's National Judicial Academy in Bhopal, was called off following directives from the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.

The Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs made the official announcement of the cancellation in a circular released on Sunday. Earlier, on December 30, 50 judicial officials, including Assistant Judges, Senior Assistant Judges, and District and Sessions Judges, had received permission to participate. The Indian government had agreed to cover all expenses for the training, which was part of a bilateral agreement signed during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in 2017.

The training initiative was designed to improve the skills and knowledge of Bangladesh’s judicial officials by exposing them to India’s top judicial institutions. However, the abrupt cancellation raises questions about the state of diplomatic relations between Dhaka and New Delhi, which have recently faced new challenges.

Bangladesh Supreme Court issued new instructions on judicial training, which led to a withdrawal of the approval for the training program in India. According to the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, the program had originally included judges and judicial officers from various ranks, such as Assistant Judges, Senior Assistant Judges, Joint District Judges, Additional District Judges, and District and Sessions Judges.

India and Bangladesh have been grappling with a strained relationship lately, especially after a series of attacks on Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh. In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reaffirmed its commitment to a "democratic, stable, peaceful, and inclusive Bangladesh" on January 3. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted the importance of trust and people-centered relations, stressing that India’s engagement with Bangladesh continues to focus on areas such as trade, connectivity, and capacity-building for the benefit of the people.

The canceled training program was part of a broader bilateral agreement signed in 2017, aimed at enhancing the capacity and expertise of Bangladesh's judiciary. As part of this agreement, judicial training was provided at India’s National Judicial Academy and other institutions.

Back in 2017, following the signing of the agreement, Bangladesh’s then-chief justice, Surendra Kumar Sinha, remarked that every country has provisions for training high court judges, noting that India’s national judicial academy in Bhopal was a key part of the arrangement.  The first batch of Bangladeshi judicial officials attended training in India in October 2017, and several others have participated in the program since then. The decision to cancel the training program marks a significant shift in the judicial exchange between the two neighboring countries, indicating a growing strain in their diplomatic ties.