New Delhi: In the first high-level exchange since ouster of Sheikh Hasina, Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar met with the Bangladesh interim government’s foreign affairs adviser Mohammed Touhid Hossain in New York on Monday, September 23.
The Bangladesh foreign ministry and Jaishankar announced the meeting on their respective X accounts. Both mentioned that the discussions focused on bilateral issues but provided no further details.
Had a meeting with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain of Bangladesh in New York this evening.
The conversation focussed on our bilateral ties. pic.twitter.com/UNtNyHGHyQ
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 24, 2024
🇧🇩Foreign Affairs Adviser, HE Md. Touhid Hossain and 🇮🇳External Affairs Minister, HE @DrSJaishankar, met at #UNGA79 sidelines and discussed issues of mutual interest between #Bangladesh|#India.@IndianDiplomacy @Yunus_Centre @ChiefAdviserGoB pic.twitter.com/gbFomhRS6T
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh (@BDMOFA) September 24, 2024
Hasina resigned and departed Dhaka on August 5 after the student-led quota reform movement escalated into a widespread agitation following a security crackdown.
India stated that she was permitted to enter the country on short notice for humanitarian reasons. She has remained here since.
Four days later, Nobel peace laureate Mohammed Yunus was sworn in as the Chief Adviser of interim government.
Given India’s perceived closeness to the previous Awami League government, the leadership change has sparked anti-India sentiment, driven by the belief that her 15-year-old rule was supported by New Delhi.
After her ouster, India had repeatedly raised concerns over the attacks of minorities, especially Hindus. The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi had raised the issue not only in his conversation with Yunus, but even with US President Joe Biden.
Yunus had acknowledged the need to protect minorities but had said that the Indian allegations were “exaggerated”.
Ahead of his New York trip, Hossain told reporters in Dhaka that while relations with India were strained, this should not hinder a normal relationship.
“Acknowledging the problem [tension between Bangladesh and India] is important for addressing it. We will definitely try to sort out the tension and maintain working relations. The relationship will have to be based on mutual respect and fairness. Based on this, we will try to advance the relationship and it is possible,” he said.
On Monday, Bangladesh had lodged a protest with India against the comments by Indian home minister Amit Shah over Bangladeshi “infiltrators”.
Bangladesh requested a meeting between Yunus and Modi in New York, but their travel schedules did not align, preventing them from being in the city at the same time. Modi had already departed New York when Yunus arrived earlier today.
