Testing-times in BD-India ties, dialogues badly missing

What was once dubbed as textbook example for bi-lateral ties even 6 months ago - is now passing through one after another new challenge these days. Yes, we are talking about Bangladesh-India diplomatic ties. 

However, against the backdrop of flagging ties our Foreign Advisor,Touhid Hossain said on Saturday that aggressive Indian media campaign against Bangladesh since August 5 is not good for normal relationship between Bangladesh and India, and India needs to address Bangladesh's concerns. In addition, Bangladesh expects to establish a good relationship with India accepting the reality in the context of the post-August 5 political reality, but India did not address Bangladesh's concerns.

We are in full agreement with the foreign advisor's official statement, and call on the Indian Government to comprehend this fact while move forward to normalize relationship with Bangladesh. Moreover, as it comes to analyse losses and gains from our bi-lateral ties, it now is essential for the Indian government and policy makers to reflect back in the last 15 yearsinventory and identify where they have fallen short, in terms of ensuring and strengthening democracy in Bangladesh.
However, it is a widely acknowledged fact that BD-India bonhomie had reached unexpected, and also to some degree abnormal heights during the last 15 years. Now with denying of visas to Bangladeshis, tightening border restrictions, cancelling of cross-border trade and all-out circulating alleged Indian media reports of the Hindu Minority Community being purged in Bangladesh the diplomatic crisis is deepening. Moreover, we were shocked to witness burning of Bangladeshi flag and effigy of the chief advisor of Bangladesh in front of the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Calcutta.

The point, however, Modi-led BJP government in India had manifestly focused on strengthening BD-India ties purely from political perspectives based on loyalty and allegiance with the Fallen AL government, that said - our bi-lateral ties had largely evolved as a government-to-government and 'leader-to-leader' relations during the last decade and half. Now with the collapsed political party with its party chief sheltered in India, all equations seem to have suddenly changed overnight.

We urge Indian politicians and policy makers to sincerely concentrate on developing sustainable state-to-state relations based on not one-sided, but by aiming mutual benefits. Concurrently, we request and also forewarn large section of the Indian media industry to refrain from tarnishing Bangladesh's global image by circulating highly politicized and fake media reports. Enough damage has been done by now. 

Need of the hour demands, both governments, political parties, respective media industries and obviously people come forward to repair the visible damages and growing animositybetween us two countries - meaning, hold increased number of dialogues going beyond political and diplomatic spectrums.

At the same time, we make an appeal to all our countrymen to practice tolerance and refrain from nurturing extreme anti-Indian sentiments. While we can change our friends, we cannot surely change our neighbour.