Speaking at a welcome dinner hosted by Masud Jamil Khan, Consul of Ireland in Bangladesh, in Dhaka on Sunday, Trivedi said Bangladesh and India are two sovereign countries and don't merely share a border but also "share a dream", the UNB news agency reported. " We have our challenges.

There is no doubt about it. And if you do not have challenges, that is not democracy," Trivedi said, while stressing the importance of dialogues in addressing bilateral issues.

The envoy expressed optimism that Prime Minister Rahman's India visit will take place "much sooner". " Issues can only be sorted out by meeting, and I am very hopeful," he said.

Trivedi's remarks came hours after Bangladesh Foreign Ministry spokesperson A K M Shahidul Karim said officials of the two countries had been in touch for several weeks over Rahman's proposed India visit, but a "propitious environment" needed to be created for the trip. Acknowledging that the two sovereign countries would have differences and need space to pursue their respective interests, Trivedi said, " We need our space.

We have our differences. We have our arguments.

That's okay... My very objective is to have a golden period between India and Bangladesh.”

The envoy's remarks on Sunday came as uncertainty looms over Rahman's proposed visit to India for the BRICS summit on September 12-13 amid fresh strains in bilateral ties over Dhaka's demand for the extradition of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The issue of Rahman's proposed India visit has assumed significance amid the recent deterioration in ties following Hasina's virtual media interaction from New Delhi on August 5.

Bangladesh expressed outrage over the media interaction, while the Ministry of External Affairs has maintained that it had no role in the media event and it does not endorse anything said at the forum about the Bangladesh government.