In his first high-level visit to India since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government in August, Foreign Secretary Bikram Mishri met his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohammad Jasim Uddin in Dhaka on Monday and “Concerns of India, especially related to the security and welfare of minoritiesIndia also flagged “some regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious and diplomatic properties”.
Referring to the alleged incidents against minorities as “propaganda … false and misleading facts”, Bangladesh’s foreign secretary responded that “other countries” should refrain from commenting on Dhaka’s “internal affairs”.
Misri, who also met Bangladesh’s interim government chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, and foreign affairs adviser, Muhammad Tauhid Hussain, stressed India’s support for a “democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive” Bangladesh. He expressed India’s desire to build a “positive and constructive relationship” based on “mutual trust, respect and mutual sensitivity to each other’s concerns and interests”.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting with Mishri, Jasim Uddin said there is freedom to practice any religion in Bangladesh. We have also informed that this is our internal matter and other countries should not comment on our internal affairs. We have also reminded that Bangladesh does not comment on internal affairs of other countries, and others should reciprocate,” he said.
He called the incident of border firing as ‘one life too many’. He emphasized on the Teesta water sharing agreement and facilitation of visas for Bangladeshi nationals for tourism and medical treatment in India.
Tors exchanges signaled public posture by Delhi and Dhaka on hot-button issues, reflecting strain in bilateral ties.
A message to Dhaka
The visit reflects Delhi’s willingness to engage with the post-Hasina reality. The message is clear: Dhaka must be responsive to Delhi’s interests, and strained relations must not be allowed to affect the bilateral development partnership.
Speaking to reporters in Dhaka, Mishri said: “We also had an opportunity to discuss some recent developments and issues, and I also raised concerns related to the safety and welfare of minorities. We also discussed some unfortunate incidents of attacks on cultural, religious and diplomatic properties.
In his meeting with Misri, Yunus described India-Bangladesh ties as “very strong” and “close”. He asked India to help clear the “cloud” that has been overshadowing relations between the two neighbors recently, his office said.
Yunus’ office said that he also raised the issue of Hasina. “Our people are worried because she is making a lot of statements from there. It creates tension,” he told Mishri.
He explained how students, workers and people joined hands to end Hasina’s rule through mass uprising in July-August. “Our job is to keep their dreams alive. This is the new Bangladesh,” Yunus said, and outlined the reform initiatives undertaken by the interim government.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Mishri stressed that “people are the key stakeholders” in India-Bangladesh relations and stressed that Delhi’s development cooperation and multifaceted engagements with Dhaka, including connectivity, trade, power, energy and sectors. Capacity building, all geared towards the benefit of the people of Bangladesh.
The emphasis on “the people of Bangladesh” is a nuanced approach by Delhi, far removed from the previous Hasina-led government.
“Today’s discussion has given us both an opportunity to take stock of our relationship, and I appreciate the opportunity to have a clear, candid and constructive exchange of views with all my interlocutors. I have emphasized that India wants a positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh. We have always in the past We have seen, and in the future we will see this relationship as a people-centric and people-oriented relationship, with the interest of all the people as the driving force,” Mishri said.
“This is reflected in the development projects implemented on the ground in Bangladesh on a daily basis and which continue to develop. It is also reflected in the mutually beneficial engagement we have in all areas including trade, commerce, connectivity, power, water, energy, development cooperation, consular cooperation and cultural cooperation. Two There is no reason why this mutually beneficial cooperation should not continue for the benefit of the people of the country,” he said, indicating the tension and strategic need to build the foundation of bilateral relations.
During the Foreign Office consultation, the MEA said, the two sides “discussed in detail various issues including political and security matters, border management, trade, commerce and connectivity, cooperation in water, energy and power sectors, development cooperation, consular, cultural and people- public relations”.
They also exchanged views on sub-regional, regional and multilateral issues and agreed to enhance consultation and cooperation to advance regional integration under the BIMSTEC framework.
The MEA said Mishri’s visit “will help to address concerns as well as take forward important issues in the relationship with the aim of helping to sustain bilateral engagement between India and Bangladesh”.
Framing the discussion and its significance, Mishri said consultations were held on all issues in the “very important bilateral relationship”. He has also given the details of all the interactions that took place since August 5 after Hasina fled to India.
“Since the political change in Bangladesh in August this year, our leaders have been in touch. The Prime Minister is the first world leader to greet the Chief Advisor after assuming office. The two then had a very cordial telephone conversation and the Chief Adviser also accepted the Prime Minister’s invitation to speak at the 3rd Voice of the Global South Summit in August this year. Since then, the Foreign Minister and the Foreign Affairs Adviser are also in touch. They met each other on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September this year and my visit follows those interactions and is the first foreign secretary-level structured engagement between the two sides since those developments,” he said.
“Therefore, I have today underlined India’s desire to work with the Interim Government of Bangladesh… Bangladeshi authorities have taken a constructive approach to all these issues, and we want to take the relationship forward in a positive, forward-looking and constructive direction,” he said.
Relations between the two countries have been strained since Hasina was forced to flee to India following violent anti-government protests in August. Relations have further soured in recent weeks following reports of attacks on Hindus and the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das.