Dhaka: Bangladesh reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining strong ties with India, emphasizing mutual respect and shared interests. The country’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, said that incidents of violence against minorities in Bangladesh should not be a concern for India.
His remarks were in response to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who recently expressed concerns over attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.
What Bangladesh said on minority attacks
Hossain dismissed concerns about the safety of minorities in Bangladesh, calling it an internal issue. “Bangladesh’s minorities are Bangladesh’s issue, just as how India treats its minorities is India’s concern,” he said.
He said that the Bangladeshi government is responsible for ensuring the rights and protection of all its citizens, including minorities.
Jaishankar said that attacks on minorities in Bangladesh affect India’s perception of its neighbor. He called on Bangladesh to decide what kind of relationship it wants with India. “The spate of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh obviously impacts our thinking, and it is something we have to speak up about, which we have done,” he said.
Jaishankar also pointed out that Bangladesh cannot seek good relations with India while blaming New Delhi for its internal problems. “You cannot, on one hand, say I would now like to have good relations with you, but I get up every morning and blame you for everything that goes wrong,” he stated.
India and Bangladesh relations after Hasina’s removal
Relations between India and Bangladesh have become tense since the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Hasina was ousted following months of student-led protests against the quota system. She fled to India and has remained there. The interim Bangladeshi government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, formally requested her extradition in December 2024.
Hossain criticized Hasina for making statements during her stay in India, saying they are damaging ties between the two nations. “If we want to improve ties, then a former prime minister making various statements while enjoying Indian hospitality only fuels tensions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jaishankar said that India wants stability in its relationship with Bangladesh. “We have made our intentions clear. We would like to see things calm down and the resumption of normal bilateral ties, but we are unhappy with the constantly hostile messaging emanating from across the border,” he said.
