New Delhi: Bangladesh’s new foreign minister Hasan Mahmud Thursday thanked India for “standing” by it despite “many ploys” to undermine the recently-held national elections, and backed New Delhi’s decision to fence the country’s border with Myanmar.
Mahmud, who is on a three-day visit to India, from 7 to 9 February, also sought India’s help to repatriate Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh back to Myanmar during his meetings with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
There are currently over 9.6 lakh Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh in and around the Kutupalong and Nayapara refugee camps, according to figures by the United Nations.
Mahmud said that the refugees have created “fanatic” and “security” issues in his country and that Myanmar was continuously “indulging in delaying tactics” on the matter.
His visit comes a month after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League swept the national elections.
Apart from Rohingyas, Mahmud is also learnt to have discussed border security and commodity issues with top Indian officials.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Vivekananda International Foundation Thursday, Mahmud said India and Bangladesh have expanded bilateral cooperation in areas of security, energy, connectivity, trade, investment and culture, including opening a $500 million line of credit for security cooperation.
“Currently, we have given utmost priority to three areas — security, promoting connectivity and all-round economic cooperation,” he said. He also stressed that the Sheikh Hasina government had undertaken a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.
At one point of time, multiple groups inimical to India, had set up bases in Bangladesh which was of concern to India. Sources in the security establishment said that while Bangladesh continued to be a concern when it comes to smuggling, there has been increased cooperation and understanding between the two countries over the issue of security and terrorism.
The Bangladesh foreign minister Thursday also welcomed India’s decision to fence its border with Myanmar just a week after New Delhi issued a travel advisory to people travelling to or living in the junta-ruled country in response to escalating violence in the Rakhine state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had Wednesday announced that the Centre would fence the entire 1,643-kilometre border, ending the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with its eastern neighbour.
“Fencing the Indo-Myanmar border is good because there’s always an insurgency issue from Myanmar,” the foreign minister said.
Also read: Necessity or trouble in making? What fencing of borders with Myanmar could mean for India
‘Bangladesh has crossed Pakistan in all indices’
While speaking at the event in New Delhi, Hasan Mahmud, without naming countries, said there were many “ploys” to undermine the recent elections in Bangladesh but appreciated India’s steadfast support to the country. “India stood by us,” he told the audience.
He also spoke of the congratulatory letters from US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she embarked on a historic fifth term. The US and UK governments had previously expressed concern over the fairness of the recently-held polls.
“The letter from President Biden has given strength to the relationship. The US is an important development partner for Bangladesh,” Mahmud said.
As Bangladesh gears up to graduate from the least-developed country (LDC) status, the foreign minister mentioned that the country’s GDP was now $578 billion from $80 billion in 2009.
“Despite obstacles, Bangladesh has crossed Pakistan in all indices. When Imran Khan formed the government four years ago, he declared that in 10 years, he would transform Pakistan into Sweden. But in a debate in Pakistan news channels recently, it was suggested that instead of transforming Pakistan into Sweden, they should try to transform it into Bangladesh,” he said.
“When (former Pakistan PM) Nawaz Sharif came back from exile to Pakistan, he said: ‘Look at Bangladesh and how it has progressed under Sheikh Hasina’,” he added.
The foreign minister’s remarks come as Pakistan’s general elections are still underway.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
Also read: 416 Myanmar soldiers crossed over to India, fighting at border a ‘concern’, says Army chief
Try becoming Bangladesh instead of Sweden, Nice ! There’s so much learning within the continent itself. Pakistan has to learn from Bangladesh, India has to learn from China & China has to learn how to not end up like Japan.