High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Pranay Verma paid a courtesy call to the Adviser for Foreign Affairs of the interim Government of Bangladesh Md. Touhid Hossain today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Dhaka on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
A day after deposed Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on her country to deliver justice for the recent killings and vandalisation of the memorial for her late father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the new Bangladesh government’s Adviser of Foreign Affairs Touhid Hossein met Indian envoy Pranay Verma and warned that such statements “emanating from India” was not “conducive” for India-Bangladesh relations.
Mr. Hossein also raised concerns about border killings, reiterated Bangladesh’s demand for an early conclusion of the Teesta river waters agreement and promised that minority communities in Bangladesh would be safe.
“Hon’ble Adviser for Foreign Affairs also mentioned about highly exaggerated media campaign about happenings in Bangladesh. About former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent statements, he mentioned that such statements emanating from India is not conducive to fostering better bilateral relations,” said a statement issued by the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Critical comments
Ms. Hasina, who took refuge in India on August 5, had issued a statement through her U.S.-based son Sajeeb Wazed Joy on Tuesday. She had called for justice for the destruction of the memorial of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at 32 Dhanmondi in Dhaka and urged her supporters to proceed to the Bangabandhu Bhavan on August 15, to hold prayer meetings.
Earlier this week, Mr. Hossein had said that Ms. Hasina’s presence in India would not pose a hurdle in developing bilateral ties. The deposed Prime Minister has been living in an unknown location ever since she arrived in India aboard a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft, fleeing Dhaka just before her official residence was raided by protesters.
Minorities’ safety
Mr. Hossein described the student movement that deposed Ms. Hasina’s Awami League government as “fearless”, asserting that the aim of the movement was to create a “rules-based, just society”.
“He mentioned that the government is pledge-bound to ensure the safety and security of all religious and ethnic groups and will not tolerate any violence or intimidation against them. He added that all religious groups and other political parties are also working to ensure safety and security of the minorities,” the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry statement said.
The Indian High Commissioner, Mr. Verma, had attended the swearing-in ceremony of the interim government led by Nobel laureate Dr. Mohammad Yunus on August 7.
Mr. Hossein had earlier served as Bangladesh Foreign Secretary between 2006 and 2009. During his meeting with Mr. Verma, Mr. Hossein said that the new government is working to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh, and urged that the India-Bangladesh relationship become more “people-centric”. He emphasised the necessity of stopping border killings, and called for the early conclusion of the Teesta waters agreement.