2 countries to try to mend relations
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Misri is also likely to call on Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain.
This is the first high-level visit from India to Bangladesh after the political changeover on August 5. Earlier on August 16, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken over the phone.
In late September, Touhid Hossain and Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York.
“The FOC will be more a meeting on how to bridge the gap, [and] set the political tone,” a diplomatic source in New Delhi told this correspondent yesterday.
Another diplomatic source in Dhaka said Bangladesh will seek political support from India for the Yunus-led interim government.
Since Sheikh Hasina took shelter in India, the bilateral relationship saw strains, with Indian visas becoming limited for Bangladeshis and affecting trade and tourism between the two countries. The Indian-funded connectivity projects were also suspended for some weeks on security grounds after August 5.
Meanwhile, the arrest of a Hindu priest Chinmoy Khrishna Das on charges of sedition and the denial of his bail in late November triggered demonstrations in various parts of India. The Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala also came under attack, sparking protests in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has also accused the Indian media of exaggerating the incidents of attacks on minorities, and some Indian politicians of making provocative remarks on the issue.
“We would expect that they [India] would hold a fruitful discussion,” Touhid Hossain said at an event at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday, referring to the FOC.
“After August 5, there has definitely been a change in the quality of our relationship with India. India has to accept it [the political changeover] and take the relationship forward.
“If we want to solve any problem, we need to admit there’s a problem,” he said, adding, “We hope we can overcome the stalemate. For this, the most important thing is mutual communication.”
The FOC, which is an annual foreign secretary-level meeting held alternatively in Dhaka and New Delhi, discusses all the aspects of relationship.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mohammad Rafiqul Alam last Thursday said some of the major issues to be discussed include water sharing, border management, trade and connectivity.
Over the last few years, Dhaka has expressed concerns over border killings. It has also shown dissatisfaction with India for not signing the Teesta water sharing deal.
Additionally, there is an impression that New Delhi gained more from Bangladesh during the AL regime, especially with regard to connectivity and trade. The Hasina-led government guaranteed security in northeast India, which was lauded by the Indian leadership.
After the formation of the interim government, Touhid Hossain had said Bangladesh would review the agreements and memorandums of understanding signed with India. So far, there was no progress in that regard.
A diplomatic source in New Delhi said there might be changes in how Bangladesh negotiates with India, but the relationship should continue without focus on political rhetoric.
“Currently, we see a lot of strains mostly because of political rhetoric. Oftentimes, these are used for domestic political gains. This has to calm down.”
The very fact that the FOC is taking place suggests that both sides have the willingness to work together, he said.
“Bangladesh and India have a lot of mutual interests -- be it water, trade, health and education or security. There’s no alternative to working together. The political leaderships of both the countries need to realise this and work accordingly,” the source added.