At the same time, Foreign Secretary Misri also conveyed India’s concerns about the safety and welfare of minority communities in Bangladesh following attacks and arrests in recent months.
This was the first high-level engagement with the Bangladesh interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus that was formed following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, 2024 amidst massive anti-government protests.
Foreign Secretary Misri was in Dhaka at the invitation of Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Mohammad Jashim Uddin for discussions and consultations on the entire gamut of issues in the extremely important bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
While in Dhaka, he called on the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, and the Foreign Affairs Adviser, Md. Touhid Hossain.
The two Foreign Secretaries co-chaired the India-Bangladesh Foreign Office Consultations, during which both sides held comprehensive discussions on a wide range of issues covering political and security matters, border management, trade, commerce and connectivity, cooperation in water, power and energy sectors, development cooperation, consular, cultural and people-to-people ties.
They also exchanged views on sub-regional, regional and multilateral issues, and agreed to enhance consultations and cooperation to advance regional integration, including under the BIMSTEC framework, the MEA said.
In his statement to the media, Foreign Secretary Misri described the day’s discussions as frank, candid, and constructive.
“I emphasized that India desires a positive, constructive, and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh. We have always seen in the past and we continue to see in the future this relationship as a people-centric and people-oriented relationship; one that has the benefit of all the people as its central motivational force,” Foreign Secretary Misri noted.
The Indian Foreign Secretary said this relationship was reflected on a daily basis in the development projects that have been executed on the ground in Bangladesh and that continue to be developed. It is also reflected in the mutually beneficial engagement on a whole set of issues ranging from trade, commerce, connectivity, power, water and energy, development cooperation, consular cooperation, and cultural cooperation, he added.
“There is no reason why this mutually beneficial cooperation should not continue to deliver in the interest of both our peoples. And, to that end, therefore, I have underlined today India’s desire to work closely with the Interim Government of Bangladesh,” he remarked.
At the same time, Foreign Secretary Misri said he discussed “certain recent developments and issues”, and conveyed India’s concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities.
“We also discussed some regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious, and diplomatic properties. We expect, overall, a constructive approach on all these issues by the Bangladesh authorities, and we look forward to moving the relationship forward in a positive, forward-looking, and constructive direction,” Foreign Secretary Misri said in his statement to the media.
Earlier this month, India called on Bangladesh’s interim government to fulfill its responsibility of safeguarding minorities amid increasing incidents of violence and rising extremist rhetoric.
MEA Spokesperson Jaiswal highlighted India’s concerns during the weekly media briefing on November 29, 2024. “The interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities,” he stated, emphasising that India has consistently raised concerns with the Bangladeshi authorities about threats and targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities.
The MEA statement came following recent attacks on Hindu minorities and the arrest of ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges in a case filed in October this year. Das is a leader of Hindu religious organisation Bangladesh Sommilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote. His arrest in Dhaka last month has sparked unrest in Bangladesh and drawn sharp criticism from religious and political groups in India.
A demonstration against his arrest led to a security breach at the Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh in Agartala, Tripura, prompting the Indian government to step up security at the Bangladeshi diplomatic missions in the country.