Highlighting the people-centric relationship between Bangladesh and India, visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri raised concerns over minorities' issues during a bilateral meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Md Jashim Uddin. He expressed optimism about moving the relationship forward in a "positive, forward-looking and constructive direction".
"There is no reason why this mutually beneficial cooperation should not continue to deliver," he told the media following a meeting with Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain at the Foreign Ministry.
Earlier, he held a Foreign Office Consultation (FoC) meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Md Jashim Uddin at the state guesthouse Padma. The Indian foreign secretary said they discussed recent developments and issues, including concerns related to the safety and welfare of minorities.
"We also discussed some regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious, and diplomatic properties. We expect a constructive approach on all these issues by the Bangladeshi authorities and look forward to moving the relationship forward in a positive, forward-looking and constructive direction," he said.
During the FoC, they discussed the entire gamut of issues in the "extremely important" bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh. "Since the political changes in Bangladesh in August this year, there has been contact between our leaderships. The Prime Minister was the first world leader to greet the Chief Adviser on his assumption of office," he said.
"The two of them had a very cordial telephone conversation thereafter, and the Chief Adviser also accepted the Prime Minister's invitation to speak at the third Voice of the Global South Summit held in August this year. Since then, the External Affairs Minister and the Foreign Affairs Adviser have also been in touch," the visiting foreign secretary said.
"They met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September this year, and my visit follows those interactions and is the first Foreign Secretary-level structured engagement between the two sides. Today's discussions have given both of us the opportunity to take stock of our relations, and I appreciate the opportunity to have had a frank, candid, and constructive exchange of views with all my interlocutors," he said.
"I emphasised that India desires a positive, constructive, and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh. We have always seen in the past and continue to see in the future this relationship as a people-centric and people-oriented relationship, one that benefits all the people as its central motivational force. This is reflected daily in the development projects executed on the ground in Bangladesh and the mutually beneficial engagement we have on a whole set of issues ranging from trade, commerce, connectivity, power, water, energy, development cooperation, consular cooperation, and cultural cooperation," he said.
"There is no reason why this mutually beneficial cooperation should not continue to deliver in the interests of both our peoples. Therefore, I have underlined today India's desire to work closely with the interim Government of Bangladesh authorities," he added.
Misri also called on Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at the state guesthouse Jamuna later. He reiterated that the relationship has always been and will continue to be people-centric and people-oriented, benefiting all the people as its central motivational force.
Bangladesh and India explored ways to address mutual concerns and advance relations in a changed scenario during the Foreign Office Consultations (FoC). Key issues on the agenda included trade, visa policies, connectivity, border killings, water-sharing, and other matters of mutual interest.
The Indian Foreign Secretary arrived on Monday morning to hold several meetings in Dhaka, including the Foreign Office Consultations. Ishrat Jahan, Director General (South Asia wing) at the Foreign Ministry, received the Indian Foreign Secretary upon his arrival in Dhaka.
