In the first high-level meeting since the recent political turmoil in Bangladesh, the foreign secretaries of India and Bangladesh have started negotiations in Dhaka with the aim of reducing rising tensions between the neighbors.
The meeting took place at approximately 11 a.m. on Monday at the State Guest House Padma.
In the midst of tense bilateral relations, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrived in Dhaka earlier in the day to attend the secretary-level discussions.
Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim Uddin is leading the Bangladeshi delegation to the bilateral Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) meeting.
The Indian foreign secretary is also expected to make courtesy calls to Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain and Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus while he is there.
Since a student-led mass movement overthrew the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, relations between the two nations have been tense. Regarding Bangladesh’s persecution of the Hindu minority, the two nations have also issued contradictory statements.
Hasina, the president of the Awami League, left the country after 15 and a half years in power and sought safety in India. The Indian government has not mentioned the former prime minister’s “status,” but it has stated that it will grant her asylum on short notice.
Since her removal, Hasina has been the target of more than 200 cases. Many Awami League leaders are in hiding or on the run, just like their party chief.
In addition, Hasina and numerous other members of her administration are facing trial by the International Crimes Tribunal on allegations of “genocide” related to the mass murders that took place in July and August.
Yunus’s interim administration has also expressed dissatisfaction with India’s position on the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh.
Since August 5, the government has accused the Indian media of spreading “concocted,” “exaggerated,” and “distorted” information regarding the country’s persecution of minorities.
Following the arrest and detention of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a Hindu priest and minority community leader, in a sedition case, the two nations have also released counter-statements.
Protests against Chinmoy’s arrest and imprisonment have been widespread in India, particularly in the states that border Bangladesh. One such demonstration on December 2 resulted in an attack on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, Tripura
The Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, a right-wing organization, carried out the attack, which included vandalism at the Bangladeshi mission and the desecration of the Bangladeshi flag.
The incident was described as “deeply regrettable” in a statement released by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. The government of Bangladesh, however, asserted that the attack was “premeditated” and that the police at the time of the incident failed to implement any active security measures.
The attack on the Bangladesh Mission has sparked widespread protests in Bangladesh. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma on Tuesday and formally delivered a letter of protest.
The FOC serves as a forum for frequent talks to review different facets of bilateral relations at the level of the foreign secretary. The next FOC is being held in Dhaka because the last one was held in Delhi in November 2023.
