Bangladesh keen to work with India, but Hasina's comments 'not conducive', official says

Bangladesh's interim government wants to work closely with India to promote bilateral relations, foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain said on Wednesday, but indicated that deposed premier Sheikh Hasina's public statements from India are "not conducive" to fostering better bilateral ties.

Hossain's statement came after Indian high commissioner Pranay Verma paid a courtesy call on him and discussed bilateral ties in the wake of the recent developments in Bangladesh, which witnessed large scale violence and attacks on minorities and temples. Verma also attended the oath-taking ceremony of the interim government last week.

During the meeting, Hossain said Bangladesh wants to work closely with India to promote bilateral relations and stressed more ‘people-centric engagement’ in the upcoming days.

Hossain affirmed the interim government's commitment to ensure the peaceful coexistence of different communities in Bangladesh, including the minorities.

This was Verma's first meeting with Hossain after the formation of the interim government following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led regime. Hasina resigned and fled to India on 5 August following massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.

Hossain said the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an atmosphere to hold free, fair and participatory elections.

He also said the government is 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 the safety and security of minorities.

Their meeting comes a day after Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance said the minority community faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since the fall of the Hasina government and termed it as an "assault on the Hindu religion".

Referring to Hasina’s recent public statement, Hossain conveyed to the envoy that "such statements from India are not conducive to fostering better bilateral relations”.

In her first public statement after her ouster, Hasina on Tuesday demanded "justice", saying those involved in recent "terror acts", killings and vandalism must be investigated, identified and punished.

In the statement in Bengali posted by her US-based son Sajeeb Wazed Joy on his X handle, Hasina urged Bangladeshis to peacefully observe 15 August, the day when the country's founder and her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated.

During his meeting with the Indian diplomat, Hossain briefed him about the current situation in Bangladesh. He mentioned that Bangladesh witnessed a second liberation last week through a mass uprising spearheaded by "valiant" students.

Hossain underlined key issues with India like stopping “border killing, the conclusion of Teesta water-sharing agreement, and ensuring supply of essential commodities”.

"The fearless student movement against a discriminatory public service recruitment system soon morphed into a nationwide revolutionary struggle to establish a rules-based, just, fair and inclusive society," he told the Indian envoy.

The adviser said that the most pressing task before this interim government is to bring normalcy to the overall law and order situation and bring the economy on track.

He thanked the government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his good wishes extended to the chief adviser on his assumption of his new responsibilities.

Modi last week extended best wishes to Yunus as he took oath as the head of the interim government in Bangladesh, hoping for an early return of normalcy and ensuring the safety of Hindus and other minority communities in that country.

The Indian envoy congratulated the foreign adviser on his new responsibilities.