External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain and discussed the bilateral relationship between the two nations, amid deteriorating ties since ex-PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster on August 5 last year.
Jaishankar said they also discussed the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) during the meeting which took place on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference in Oman.
After the meeting, S Jaishankar wrote on X: “Met Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain of the Interim Government of Bangladesh.”
He further said: “Conversation was focused on our bilateral relationship, as also on BIMSTEC.”
After Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, she fled to India on August 5.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge of the interim government after she from Bangladesh amid rising protests against her regime over a job quota row.
Relationships deteriorated over the rise in attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.
New Delhi had voiced strong concerns after several Hindu temples and houses were vandalised in Bangladesh following Hasina’s exit.
What is BIMSTEC?
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization that was established on 06 June 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration, as per the official website.
Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organisation is now known as BIMSTEC and comprises seven Member States with the admission of Myanmar on 22 December 1997, and Bhutan and Nepal in February 2004.
Bangladesh will be the next chair of BIMSTEC summit.
The summit will be held in Bangkok from April 2 to April 4.
