Bangladesh and India hold talks to ease rising tensions

The foreign secretaries of Bangladesh and India met in Dhaka on Monday to discuss the escalating tensions between the two nations. A key point of discussion was the strained relations following the August exile of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India. The meeting aimed to address the underlying issues and seek ways to ease the diplomatic strains, News.az reports citing foreign media.

This is the first high-level visit by an Indian official since massive protests ended Hasina’s 15-year rule.

Tensions spiked further over the recent arrest of a Hindu spiritual leader in Bangladesh, currently run by the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. India also stopped issuing visas to Bangladeshis except for emergency medical visas after Hasina’s ouster while many Indian nationals taking part in infrastructure projects left Bangladesh because of security threats.

Alleged assaults targeting minority Hindus in Bangladesh and an attack on a Bangladesh diplomatic mission in India featured prominently in Monday’s talks between the Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Mohammad Jashim Uddin.

After the meeting, Misri told reporters that there wasn’t any reason for the mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries not to continue.

“To that end, therefore, I have underlined today India’s desire to work closely with the interim government of Bangladesh,” he said.

Misri also said he discussed with Uddin recent developments and relayed “concerns, including those related to the safety, security and welfare of the minorities.”

News.Az