Move the Bangladesh-India relationship forward in a Seriously way.
Amidst the tension in Bangladesh-India bilateral relations a meeting of the foreign secretaries of the two countries is going to be held in Dhaka on Monday. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Mishri will arrive in Dhaka this morning. This is the first visit of a high-level Indian official to Dhaka since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5. Foreign Secretary Md. Jasim Uddin will lead the meeting on behalf of Bangladesh.
Diplomatic sources say that the meeting will seek ways to reduce the coldness and tension in the relations between the two countries in the changed situation and move them forward. Apart from this, as always, the progress and current status of issues related to the interests of the two countries will also be reviewed. Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Towhid Hossain also spoke about taking the relations forward. He said that the qualitative change in the relations between Bangladesh and India has taken place after August 5, and the relations should be taken forward by accepting that.
However, although the issue of returning Sheikh Hasina is not on the agenda of the meeting, the issue that her hateful statements in India are complicating the relations between the two countries may be conveyed from Dhaka. The Indian Foreign Secretary will also be reminded of the court’s ban on the dissemination of all kinds of ‘hate speech’ by Sheikh Hasina in the media and social media.
After the political change of August 5 in the student-public uprising in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina took refuge in India which put Dhaka-Delhi relations in a state of great strain. The whole world welcomed the inevitable outcome of Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian rule. But even after four months of the change the neighboring country could not accept it; on the contrary, the bitterness increased as India repeatedly brought up allegations of minority oppression. Then the situation became even more heated with the arrest of Sanatani Jagran Mancha spokesperson and former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Das and Mamata Banerjee’s proposal to deploy peacekeepers in Bangladesh. In such a situation, a call for national unity has been made in Bangladesh. Various types of protests are also being held in Bangladesh against India.
Recently, several Hindutva organizations have carried out an unprecedented attack on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala alleging minority oppression. Apart from this, protests have also taken place near the Bangladesh missions in Kolkata and Mumbai. Consular activities including visa services have been suspended at the Agartala mission. Protests are going on in Dhaka and outside Dhaka in protest of the attack. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already summoned the Indian High Commission in Dhaka in protest of the attack on the mission and condemned it. Such a summoning of the Indian High Commissioner has been a rare occurrence in the last 5 years.
There is a kind of tension in the relations between the two South Asian neighbors. issuing Indian visas to Bangladeshis is almost stopped. Bangladesh is also going to keep its visa policy under control. Bangladesh has brought back two diplomats after the attack on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, India and the burning of the Bangladesh flag. Some states have also decided not to provide medical treatment and hotel rent to Bangladeshis in India. The import of goods by land is also stopped in some places.
Sources said that a way out of the ongoing cold relations between the two countries will be sought in the meeting on Monday. Apart from this, issues of mutual interest of the two countries including trade, border situation, security, sharing of water of common rivers and regional connectivity issues will be discussed. Along with this the full opening of Indian visa centers in Bangladesh may also be discussed.
A foreign ministry official said that there has been little visible improvement in relations with India in the four months of the interim government. The government hopes that the relationship will see ‘dynamism’ through the meeting of the foreign secretaries of the two countries in Dhaka. Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain said, I have always said that to solve a problem, we have to admit that the problem exists. And we also have to admit that there must have been a qualitative change in relations before and after August 5. We must accept this and try to take our relations forward. Md. Touhid Hossain said these things in his speech as the chief guest at a seminar organized at the National Press Club on Sunday to mark the 40th Charter Day of SAARC. An organization called SAARC Journalists Forum, Bangladesh organized the seminar on SAARC.
Stating that the current tension is affecting trade between the two countries, the foreign affairs advisor said, is the recession that has been going on for the past two-three months affecting only Bangladesh? It is also affecting India, a country with such a large economy. The amount may not be that much.
In the current situation, the economy of West Bengal is suffering a lot. We hope that communication and mutual visits are the most important things to overcome the deadlock. The Indian Foreign Secretary is coming tomorrow (today). The meeting of the Foreign Secretaries is a regular matter, I hope they will have fruitful discussions.
Meanwhile, according to the extradition agreement with India, Sheikh Hasina will be asked to return after some legal procedures. Shafiqul Alam, the press secretary of the chief advisor, said. Shafiqul Alam said, the interim government’s position on the return of Sheikh Hasina is very clear. We want to bring her back to the country and face the law. She is the one who ordered the massacre that took place, 1500 people were killed in July-August. To bring her back from India, since we have an extradition agreement with India, we can request her extradition by completing some legal procedures according to that agreement. We are completing those procedures. After completing this, we will formally request her extradition from India.
In response to another question, the Press Secretary said, “We are optimistic about improving relations with India. Bangladesh wants a ‘fair and dignified’ relationship with India.” Regarding the visit of the Indian Foreign Secretary, he said, “We will discuss various issues of mutual interest.”
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