Md. Touhid Hossain, Bangladesh’s foreign affairs adviser, has emphasized the nation’s wish for positive working relations with India that are founded on respect and common interests.
This position follows remarks made recently by Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who voiced worries about the antagonistic remarks made by Bangladesh’s interim government against India.
Hossain emphasized the reciprocal nature of their bilateral ties by pointing out that although Bangladesh is clear about its stance, India must also choose the type of relationship it wishes to have with Bangladesh.
During her visit to India, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made remarks that Hossain criticized, saying they were bad for relations between Dhaka and Delhi.
Such remarks, he said, only serve to exacerbate tensions and work against strengthening relations between the two countries. Furthermore, promoting a policy of non-interference, Hossain emphasized that Bangladesh’s minority issues are its own business and that India should not meddle in them.
Hossain is hopeful about the possibility of positive interaction in spite of these obstacles. He emphasized that because of their shared history and culture, both nations stand to benefit much from good bilateral relations. The necessity of collaboration was emphasized at Hossain and Jaishankar’s meeting in Muscat, where they talked about bilateral ties and regional platforms like BIMSTEC.
But Jaishankar also underlined the need of regional stability and warned Bangladesh against normalizing terrorism.
