Bangladesh on Monday said it is inappropriate for India to comment on the internal affairs of the country, hours after visiting Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri raised the issue of the safety of minorities in the Muslim-majority nation while meeting his counterpart Md Touhid Hossain.
“We emphasized that this is an internal matter for Bangladesh and that foreign comments on our internal issues are inappropriate,” Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune after the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC).
“I also reminded that Bangladesh refrains from commenting on the internal affairs of other countries, and such mutual respect should be extended by others as well,” he said.
Misri’s visit to Dhaka marked the first high-level diplomatic interaction between the two nations ever since the toppling of the Awami League government on August 5.
An interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took charge of the country following former PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster.
During Yunus’ regime, Bangladesh has witnessed a rise in atrocities against minorities, especially Hindus, who make up nearly eight percent of the country’s population, as per the 2022 census.
“We also had the opportunity to discuss certain developments and I conveyed the concerns, including those related to the safety, security and welfare of the minorities,” the Indian official was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.
“We expect overall 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,” he said.
“Today’s discussions have given both of us the opportunity to take stock of our relations, and I appreciate the opportunity today to have had a frank, candid and constructive exchange of views with all my interlocutors,” Misri told reporters at the foreign ministry in Dhaka.
“I emphasised on a positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh,” he added.
The communal tension increased during the current regime after Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested in Chittagong over sedition charges in November.
Earlier, India said the interim government in Bangladesh must shoulder its responsibility of protecting all minorities while expressing serious concern over the “surge” of extremist rhetoric and increasing incidents of violence against Hindus.
