Dhaka seeks stronger ties with India, hopes for visa resumption: Bangladesh

Dhaka:  Bangladesh has expressed its readiness to establish positive working relationships with India in light of the strained ties between the two nations following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the atrocities committed against Hindu minorities in the South Asian state.

Muhammad Yunus-led interim government Foreign Affairs Advisor, Touhid Hossain, has stated that his nation wants to improve ties with India, and they have always been clear about it, accoridng to local media reports.

Hossain said that he also expects the Indian High Commission to resume issuing visas to Bangladeshis soon.

He echoed the thoughts of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, who earlier stated that there is no alternative to maintaining good relations between India and Bangladesh.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangladesh, Hossain stated, “The position articulated by the Chief Advisor reflects our stance. I have previously emphasised the necessity of a constructive working relationship based on mutual respect. The rest will unfold in due course. Both sides have their respective interests, and the relationship will evolve accordingly.”

When questioned on any updates on the resumption of the visa services of the Indian High Commission and normalisation of relations with India, he said, “Such information should come from India. We have not created visa-related complexities. Visa issuance is a sovereign prerogative. If a country decides not to grant visas to certain individuals or groups, it is within their right, and no objections can be raised. We hope they will communicate their decision to us and take measures to facilitate the process for prospective travellers.”

Last month, Hossain met India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference in Muscat. During this meeting, both countries recognised the challenges in bilateral relations and discussed the necessity to work together to address those.

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), EAM Jaishankar had conveyed that it is important that Bangladesh should not normalise terrorism.

The Bangladeshi media had also reported after the meeting that during their meeting, which lasted less than half an hour, EAM Jaishankar and Hossain emphasised the importance of working to overcome the challenges that have arisen in the current context of bilateral relations and also discussed “the topic of organising” a meeting between the Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit to be held in Bangkok, later this year.

India had stopped issuing visas for Bangladeshis following a mass protest that gripped the South Asian nation with violence and riots last year.

Even though India continues to bat for the normalisation of relations with Bangladesh, the current regime in Dhaka has faced massive criticism for making groundless accusations against India and also targeting minorities, especially the Hindu community in Bangladesh, since the mass uprising of students and the dramatic fall of Hasina’s Awami League government, last year.

The 6th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit is scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from April 2-4, later this year.

Bangladesh, which will take over as the next chair of BIMSTEC at the summit, is hoping for a Yunus-Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting to take place during the Bangkok event.

–IANS