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Bangladesh wants both sides to come out of some ‘uncertainties’ about the relation, he says
Published : 18 Feb 2025, 03:11 AM
Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain has called on India to move ahead by accepting the reality after the July-August uprising in Bangladesh.
In an interview with Indian media WION in Oman’s Muscat on Monday, he said: “We recognised that the change that took place in July-August brought up some uncertainties about the relation. Let us accept the reality of what has happened.
“We want both sides to come out of that and follow the each-others requirements, and go ahead with improving relations.”
The interim government assumed office following massive student-led protests that toppled the Awami League administration on Aug 5.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India, where she remains, while several senior leaders have been arrested, and many others have gone into hiding.
The interim government has moved to prosecute Hasina and others at the International Crimes Tribunal, citing the alleged crackdown on protesters under her administration as "genocide”.
Multiple arrest warrants have been issued against her.
On Dec 23, the interim government sent a diplomatic note to India, requesting her repatriation under an extradition treaty.
However, Indian media reports suggested that Delhi was reluctant to comply with the request and might take months to respond.
Since Hasina's departure, tensions between Bangladesh and India have been evident.
The interim government has accused her of attempting to destabilise Bangladesh from Indian soil, while New Delhi has raised concerns over the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has also criticised Indian media for "false and misleading propaganda" regarding the situation in the country.
Diplomatic tensions have also resulted in multiple instances of summoning each other’s envoys over border issues and remarks by Hasina.
Last Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his "views and concerns" about Bangladesh during a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC.
An Indian journalist raised the issue of Bangladesh in a question for Trump about the potential involvement of the "US deep state" in the country's affairs.
"Well, there was no role for our deep state," Trump said.
Pointing toward Modi, he added: "[The situation in Bangladesh] is something that the prime minister [Modi] has been working on for a long time. And this has been ‘going on for hundreds of years’.”
Then on Sunday, Touhid and Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference in Muscat.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said both Bangladesh and India have acknowledged challenges in their bilateral relations and emphasised the need for joint efforts to address them.
Jaishankar later posted on X about the meeting with Touhid, sharing a photo and saying: "Conversation was focused on our bilateral relationship, as also on BIMSTEC."
Asked how Dhaka views the relations between the two countries, Touhid told WION: “Bangladesh believes both sides need mutually beneficial good relations. The present Bangladesh government is working toward that target.
Stating that he had a “good” meeting with Jaishankar on Sunday, the advisor said: “I believe we both understand each other's language. And we have discussed the coming steps that we can take to improve relations.”
He also spoke about other bilateral meetings ahead, including one of the border security forces of the two countries.
Regarding the possibility of a meeting between Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in April, he said there is an opportunity for the two leaders to meet.
Touhid said the government heads of the two countries will attend the summit at the same time. The two were expected to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024, but Modi returned home earlier. As a result, the two could not make it.
"This [BIMSTEC] is a conference where government heads of all countries will be present. Secondly, it's not that big a forum, but relatively small. Usually, every head of government meets with everyone else. So there is an opportunity for both of them to meet there."
‘BANGLADESH IS TAKING CARE OF ITS MINORITIES'
To a question on India's concern over the "persecution" of minorities in the interview, he said: “Let’s come out of this issue, we have been spending a lot of time on this during the last five months, particularly in the Indian media, often exaggerated, often even on pure falsehood. Let’s come out of this.
“The minorities, the Hindus and others are equal citizens of Bangladesh as with the Muslims. They have equal rights, they have equal protection under the law. So, we will take care of ‘our’ minorities as India has to take care of their minorities.”
He said, “I don’t think this should become an issue between the two countries. And we are there. The government is taking appropriate steps. The confidence is there among the minorities, as the number of Puja mandaps has been exponential this time and since all of us have been travelling to different venues, nobody has ‘complained about this’."
“So, let us get out of this mindset. Better let us deal with other issues that concern our two countries. The minorities are a concern of Bangladesh and Bangladesh is taking care of them.”
‘CRIMES OCCUR AT EVERY BORDER, BUT NOBODY SHOOTS TO KILL'
To a question on the scrapping of the border agreement with India, the foreign advisor said he had "not heard" of any such thing.
He said the issue on the border is the shooting of the India Border Security Force, or BSF, and the killing of civilians, which does not happen anywhere in the world.
“We are two friendly countries. There have been issues, there are crimes at the border. Yes there are crimes on every border in the world that doesn’t mean that they shoot the people to kill.”
Touhid said, “If anyone has broken the law, can be arrested, taken to court, the Indian court, the court will decide what is to happen to them.
“But that is not done between friendly countries that you shoot civilians on the border, even if they are committing any crime.”
“We will help each other in border management,” he added.
