New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Tuesday said that exiled former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s second virtual interaction here in the national capital has ‘no involvement of the Indian government’.
“The interaction you refer to is being organised by a private media entity. The government has no involvement whatsoever in it. Neither does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum,” the MEA said at its regular press briefing Tuesday.
Earlier Monday, the Bangladesh foreign ministry had sought a clarification from the Indian government on Hasina’s public activities after it was announced that she along with her son Sajeeb Wazed and former cabinet ministers would hold a virtual interaction with the press at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in New Delhi on 5 August, two years after her ouster from the country following a student-led protest movement.
“We are moving forward with India with a forward-looking approach. We don’t want it to be damaged, and I firmly believe that India doesn’t want it either. So, India has to be clear whether it is supporting it or not,” Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam told reporters Monday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
Islam said Dhaka had repeatedly conveyed to New Delhi, both verbally and in writing, that fugitives or convicted individuals should not be permitted to use Indian territory for political activities aimed at destabilising Bangladesh. “It can. But we don’t want that,” she said when asked whether Hasina’s reported appearance could damage bilateral ties.
Despite the dispute, Islam stressed that Bangladesh remained committed to strengthening its relationship with India. “We want relations with India to improve. I believe India also wants that,” she said.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and India’s newly appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, met Monday, during which Kabir told the Indian envoy that Dhaka expected New Delhi’s cooperation in ensuring that “any person, including fugitive Hasina, cannot use Indian territory to make political statements or conduct any activities aimed at creating instability within Bangladesh”.
He added that such activities could harm the positive progress of bilateral relations between the two countries. The Indian High Commissioner assured Bangladeshi officials “that the matter would be duly considered, necessary inquiries would be made, and efforts would be made in this regard”.
“The news that fugitive Sheikh Hasina could make a public statement on 5 August came up in discussion”, the MoFA said in a statement after the meeting.
Adding, “Bangladesh expects India’s cooperation in this matter, as the High Commissioner’s mission, including the High Commissioner to Bangladesh, cannot conduct any activities aimed at creating instability within Bangladesh, as mentioned by the High Commissioner. He noted that such activities can undermine the positive progress of bilateral relations. The High Commissioner emphasised the need to take necessary precautions and remain vigilant regarding this issue.”
(Edited by Prakhar Agrawal)
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