Bangladesh keen to work with India, but Hasina's comments not conducive: Foreign affairs adviser

Dhaka, Aug 14 (PTI) Bangladesh's interim government wants to work closely with India to promote bilateral relations, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said on Wednesday, but cautioned that deposed premier Sheikh Hasina's public statement from India is "not conducive" to fostering better bilateral ties.

His comments came after Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma paid a courtesy call on him and discussed bilateral ties in the wake of the recent developments in Bangladesh, which witnessed large-scale violence and attacks on minorities and temples.

During the meeting, Hossain said Bangladesh wants to work closely with India to promote bilateral relations and stressed more ‘people-centric engagement’ in the upcoming days. He also affirmed the interim government's commitment to ensure the peaceful coexistence of different communities in Bangladesh, including the minorities.

This was Verma's first meeting with Hossain after the formation of the interim government following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led regime. Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5 following massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.

Hossain, however, said Hasina's recent statement made from India is "not conducive" to improving Dhaka-Delhi relations. "This is the stand of Bangladesh's interim government," Hossain told reporters after his meeting with Verma.

He said Hasina's statement from India was uncomfortable for Dhaka "and we want to see that she will not do it (while) staying in India”.

Later, in a statement, the foreign ministry said that Hossain also mentioned a “highly exaggerated” media campaign about happenings in Bangladesh during his meeting with the Indian diplomat, in an apparent reference to attacks on minority communities including some Hindu temples and households.

"We are interested in advancing our relationship with Bangladesh," Verma told reporters after his meeting with Hossain.

He referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s good wishes to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and expressed India's keen willingness to work with the interim government in the coming days to fulfil the shared aspirations of the two peoples.

Army chief Gen Waker uz Zaman earlier said 34 incidents of assaults of the minority community members were reported from 32 districts amid nationwide vandalism that also saw widespread vandalism on many government installations including the PMO, premier’s official residence and Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and attacks on leaders and activists of the deposed Awami League regime.

"We will do everything possible to bring the culprits to justice," told the media in northwestern Rajshahi while reports said thousands of students including madrasah students were guarding Hindu temples and households alongside neighbourhoods from robbery and attacks by miscreants.

Hossain said that the interim government is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an atmosphere to hold free, fair and participatory elections.

Verma attended the oath-taking ceremony of the interim government last Thursday.

Hossain said that the government is pledge-bound to ensure the safety and security of all religious and ethnic groups and will not tolerate any violence or intimidation against them. He added that all religious groups and other political parties are also working to ensure the safety and security of the minorities.

Their meeting comes a day after Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance said the minority community faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since the fall of the Hasina government and termed it as an "assault on the Hindu religion." In her first public statement after her ouster, Hasina on Tuesday demanded "justice", saying those involved in recent "terror acts", killings and vandalism must be investigated, identified and punished.

In the statement in Bengali posted by her US-based son Sajeeb Wazed Joy on his X handle, Hasina urged Bangladeshis to observe peacefully August 15, the day when the country's founder and her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated.

During his meeting with the Indian diplomat, Hossain briefed him about the current situation in Bangladesh. He mentioned that Bangladesh witnessed a second liberation last week through a mass uprising spearheaded by valiant students.

Hossain underlined key issues with India like stopping “border killing, the conclusion of Teesta water sharing agreement, and ensuring supply of essential commodities.” "The fearless student movement against a discriminatory public service recruitment system soon morphed into a nationwide revolutionary struggle to establish a rules-based, just, fair and inclusive society," he told the Indian envoy.

The adviser said that the most pressing task before this interim government is to bring normalcy to the overall law and order situation and bring the economy on track.

He thanked the government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the good wishes extended to the chief adviser on the assumption of his new responsibilities.

Modi last week extended best wishes to Yunus as he took oath as the head of the interim government in Bangladesh, hoping for an early return to normalcy and ensuring the safety of Hindus and other minority communities in that country.

The Indian envoy congratulated the foreign adviser on his new responsibilities. PTI