India on Monday flagged “regrettable incidents” of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, which Dhaka called “misleading and false information” and said no country should interfere in its internal affairs as their foreign secretaries met here for the first time since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that he conveyed India’s concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities, during his meeting with his counterpart Mohammad Jashim Uddin.
“We also discussed some regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious, and diplomatic properties,” he said. “We expect, overall, a constructive approach on all these issues by the Bangladesh authorities, and we look forward to moving the relationship forward in a positive, forward-looking, and constructive direction.”
Their meeting came amid a low in the relations between the two countries after Hasina fled to India on August 5 following massive protests against her government.
India has repeatedly expressed concern over the targeting of Hindus since the interim government of Muhammad Yunus took charge in early August. Bangladesh’s statement after Monday’s talks, however, focused on “misinformation” in Indian media.
Jashim Uddin said the Bangladesh side expected Delhi’s active cooperation to halt the “negative campaign” in India to build trust among the people of the two countries.
“We drew their attention and sought appropriate steps regarding dissemination of misleading and false information in Indian media about Bangladesh’s July-August revolution and alleged hostile attitude to the minority communities here in the post-revolution,” he said.
Jashim Uddin said Dhaka simultaneously strongly stated that followers of all faiths in Bangladesh were performing their rituals freely.
“At the same time, we said no country is expected to interfere in our internal affairs and reminded that Bangladesh refrains from commenting on internal affairs of other countries and they should as well show identical respect for us,” he said.
Misri, the first high-level Indian official to visit Bangladesh since the takeover by the interim government, expressed New Delhi’s desire for a “positive, constructive and mutually beneficial” relationship with Dhaka.
“Today’s discussions have given both of us the opportunity to take stock of our relations and I appreciate the opportunity today to have a frank, candid, and constructive exchange of views with all my interlocutors,” he said.
“I emphasized that India desires a positive, constructive, and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh,” he said. “We have always seen in the past and we continue to see in the future this relationship as a people-centric and people-oriented relationship; one that has the benefit of all the people as its central motivational force.”
Misri said he underlined India’s desire to work closely with the interim government of Bangladesh.
He also called on Interim Government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain.
During these meetings, Misri highlighted India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh, said a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi.
“He reiterated India’s willingness to build a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh, based on mutual trust and respect and mutual sensitivity to each other’s concerns and interests,” it said.
Misri emphasized that people are the main stakeholders in India-Bangladesh relations, and noted that India’s development cooperation and multifaceted engagements with Bangladesh, including in the areas of connectivity, trade, power, energy and capacity building, are all geared towards the benefit of the people of Bangladesh.
He said there is no reason why this mutually beneficial cooperation should not continue to deliver in the interest of both our peoples.
“Since the political changes in Bangladesh, in August this year, there has, of course, been contact between our leaders. Our Prime Minister was the first world leader to greet the Chief Adviser on his assumption of office. The two of them had a very cordial telephone conversation…,” he said.
During the Foreign Office Consultations, both sides held comprehensive discussions on a wide range of issues covering political and security matters, border management, trade, commerce and connectivity, cooperation in water, power and energy sectors, development cooperation, consular, cultural and people-to-people ties, the MEA said.
They also exchanged views on sub-regional, regional and multilateral issues, and agreed to enhance consultations and cooperation to advance regional integration, including under the BIMSTEC framework.
“Foreign Secretary’s visit will help in sustaining bilateral engagement between India and Bangladesh with a view to addressing concerns as well as advancing the substantive issues in the relationship,” it said.
Jashim Uddin said “zero killing” on the borders with India was a priority issue and requested the Indian side to take effective steps towards that end.
He said Dhaka expected the resolution of all “unsettled issues” with India.
According to the Bangladesh statement, the issues of common rivers received extra importance during the talks when Bangladesh stressed the inking of the Teesta water-sharing deal alongside the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty, which would expire in 2026.
Jashim Uddin said Bangladesh also urged India to remove existing tariff and non-tariff barriers. “We have requested them for an undisrupted supply of essential commodities from India,” he said.
The close ties between India and Bangladesh came under severe strain after Hasina was forced to leave the country in the face of a massive anti-government protest in August.
The relations deteriorated further in recent weeks over attacks on Hindus and the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das.
There have been a spate of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh in the last few weeks that triggered strong concerns in New Delhi.
In September, foreign affairs adviser Mohammad Touhid Hossain met briefly with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar in New York on the sidelines of a UN general assembly meeting.
