Amid growing tensions between two close neighbors, Bangladesh and India on Tuesday affirmed commitment to have a friendly relationship considering the existing “multifaceted and wide-ranging” relations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) summoned Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma following the attack on Bangladesh Assistant High Commission premises in Agartala during protests against alleged attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.
Talking to reporters after his meeting with acting Foreign Secretary Riaz Hamidullah, the High Commissioner said the “multifaceted and wide-ranging” relations between the two countries cannot be reduced to one issue.
Visa, consular services at Bangladesh mission in Agartala suspended
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, at a separate briefing at the Foreign Service Academy, said India is a big neighbour and Bangladesh wants good relations with the neighbor. “But we think this good relationship should be based on just and equity.”
High Commissioner Verma said they want to build a “constant, stable and constructive” relationship with Bangladesh.
Talking to reporters briefly at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said they are interested in working with Bangladesh to fulfill their shared aspirations in the field of peace, security and development.
He also said there are many interdependencies and they want to build on that for mutual benefits.
Pranay Verma entered the ministry around 4pm on Tuesday. Asked, Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said he (Indian envoy) had been asked to come.
India really wants stable, constructive relationship with Bangladesh: Verma
Additional security measures were taken around the ministry with the deployment of army and police personnel.
Meanwhile, all visa and consular services at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala of Tripura have been suspended for an indefinite period.
A notification signed by Md Al Amin, first secretary of the Assistant High Commission office, was issued on Tuesday.
CA’s Press Secretary said Bangladesh is following due diplomatic process and the government is doing everything whatever necessary.
The government of Bangladesh on Monday said it “deeply resents” the “violent demonstration and attack” by a large group of protesters of the Hindu Sangharsh Samity of Agartala on the premises of the Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh in Agartala.
Attack on Bangladesh Mission: India arrests 7, suspends 3 cops
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, underlined that this “heinous attack” on a diplomatic mission of Bangladesh and desecration of the national flag of Bangladesh comes in a pattern, further to a similar violent demonstration in Kolkata on 28 November 2024.
“This particular act in Agartala stands in violation of the inviolability of diplomatic missions, as the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, asks for,” the ministry said.
“We conveyed our concerns to India. Our MoFA (ministry of foreign affairs) is working accordingly,” CA’s Press Secretary Alam said.
CA’s Deputy Press Secretaries Apurba Jahangir and Abul Kalam Azad Majumder were present.