DHAKA, Bangladesh (Diya TV) — Bangladesh reaffirmed its intention to keep its relations with India strong on mutual respect and common interests, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain stated Monday. His statement was in response to Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s recent frustration over minority attacks in Bangladesh and allegations that Dhaka was attributing its domestic problems to New Delhi.
“Bangladesh minorities are Bangladesh’s problem, the same way India’s treatment of minorities is India’s,” Hossain stated, as cited by the Dhaka Tribune newspaper. He insisted that instances of violence against minorities in Bangladesh must not be an issue of concern for India.
Jaishankar, in a statement on Saturday, expressed worry over recent assaults on minorities in Bangladesh, explaining that such activities “affect India’s thinking.” He noted that Dhaka must make an unequivocal determination regarding its relations with New Delhi. “The series of assaults on minorities in Bangladesh affects our thinking, and it is something we need to speak up against, which we have,” Jaishankar explained.
Hossain brushed aside these fears, saying that they are internal issues. “We are taking care of the minority issue. They are Bangladeshi citizens. They enjoy the same rights as I do, and the government will attempt to provide them with those rights,” he added.
Strains between India and Bangladesh have grown in recent months after the toppling of ex-Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Hasina was toppled from office after months-long student protests against the quota system and took refuge in India, where she still is. The caretaker government in Bangladesh, headed by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, officially sought her extradition in December 2024.
Jaishankar reasserted that India wants stability in its relationship with Bangladesh. “We have made our intentions clear. We would like to see things calm down and the resumption of normal bilateral ties, but we are unhappy with the constantly hostile messaging emanating from across the border,” he said.
India has also insisted that Bangladesh needs to do more to safeguard the well-being of its minority populations, especially Hindus, and has expressed alarm at their safety. Bangladesh has refuted allegations of systematic violence and blamed Indian media for concocting such stories.
Hossain censured previous Prime Minister Hasina for remarks made when she was on her Indian trip, claiming her statements were prejudicial to Dhaka-Delhi relations. “If one desires to increase relations, then a previous prime minister issuing statements on multiple subjects while basking in the Indian hospitality merely provides kindling for fire. Everybody acknowledges that her comments are placing oil in the fire,” he opined.
