US-India talks on Bangladesh situation

A major Indian newspaper has reported that the US ambassador in Dhaka Dan Mozena went to Delhi “uninvited” and discussed Bangladesh.

Mozena accompanied the US ambassador in New Delhi Nancy Powell to meet senior Indian officials, but the details of their discussions were not immediately available.

Quoting unnamed officials of India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), The ‘Economic Times’ newspaper said Mozena tried to figure out India's approach towards the situation in Bangladesh and how to deal with it.

The paper quoted an Indian official as saying: “India and Bangladesh are on the same page with the emerging situation. The US envoy was not invited to India but visited Delhi as per decision of his government.”

The report said three issues came up for discussion – ensuring 'peace and stability’ in Bangladesh, the need for 'free and fair elections in which all parties participate' and the need to counter 'extremism and terrorism'.

The US ambassador in Dhaka rushed to Delhi on Wednesday, a day after meeting his Indian counterpart in Dhaka Pankaj Saran. There was no official word about what transpired in that meeting.

Mozena had discussed the political situation with the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in an unscheduled meeting on Monday evening. The following morning he had a “not-a-very-cordial” breakfast meeting with High Commissioner Saran, according to diplomatic sources in Dhaka.

On Friday, he met senior officials of India's external affairs ministry, the Economic Times said.

He had earlier briefed US ambassador Powell in India.

US Ambassador Dan Mozena [File Photo]

Why would Mozena visit India uninvited? What were the compulsions to rush to Delhi uninvited? Was Mozena's meeting with Saran cordial or otherwise?

These questions have remained unanswered so far from both embassies or what was discussed by the two Dhaka-based envoys -- and whether there were differences and if so, whether they were serious enough!

Mozena had earlier told the Dhaka media that his parleys with Pankaj Saran were aimed at promoting India-Bangladesh trade.

India and US both appear keen to get a dialogue started between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia to break the country's current logjam, but Indian analysts say Delhi tends to differ with Washington on how to go about it.