Foreign secretary Vikram Misri along with other senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs briefed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on the Indo-Bangladesh relations. The panel is chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
Officials are also learnt to have expressed concern that the Bangladesh government has “not only not acknowledged the systematic persecution of minorities but has sought to downplay the scale and nature of violence against Hindus since 2024”, sources said. The officials also apparently referred to the statement of Mohammed Yunus, chief adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh, where he termed the atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh as media exaggeration.
Officials also expressed concern that persecution against minorities has been characterised as “political killings” of Awami League members rather than communal violence.
When asked about the Bangladesh Army, it was suggested that they are out of barracks to take control of the law and order in the neighbouring nation. Officials suggested that India is interested in advancing mutual interests and priorities with Bangladesh, sources said.
At the same time, officials maintained that it is crucial for the Bangladesh government to pay attention to India’s security and strategic concerns in the region for which India will continue to work with the neighbouring country, sources added.After the meeting, Tharoor said, “It was a very comprehensive discussion where all aspects of Indo-Bangladesh relations were seriously considered. Many members had questions, and you will find the outcome in the report of the committee that will be presented to Parliament on the subject.”