Bangladesh Foreign Advisor says Jaishankar’s Dhaka visit not linked to politics

Bangladesh on Friday (January 1) said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Dhaka for the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia should not be linked to bilateral relations and politics. The neighbouring country's Foreign Affairs Adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, told reporters that whether Jaishankar’s visit would ease the tensions between the two countries will only be clear in future.

“You will have to look for the answer to that in the future,” said Hossain.

‘A good gesture’

Elaborating further, Hossain said that representatives from all South Asian countries attended the funeral, including Jaishankar. He further stated that Jaishankar left after attending the whole event, describing it as a “good gesture," but cautioned against “interpreting” the visit from a political perspective.

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“His visit was short, but he attended the entire event and then left. It is a good gesture. We should not try to find more meaning than that,” said Hossain as quoted by the Dhaka Tribune.

‘No bilateral discussions’

Hossain also said no private meeting was held with Jaishankar during his visit, as there was no scope for such a one-on-one meeting.

“There were other foreign guests as well. The Speaker of Pakistan was there, and he also shook hands with him. These are courtesies that everyone observes,” he added.

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The Foreign Affairs Adviser further stated that no political discussions took place during their interaction, as it was “brief, public and purely formal” which left no room for discussing bilateral issues.

Hossain said that Zia had a positive image not only in Bangladesh but also in neighbouring countries.

“She earned a position of acceptance and respect across party lines, which is recognised throughout South Asia.” He further stated that it was natural for regional leaders to attend her funeral.

The backdrop

Jaishankar on Wednesday represented India at Khaleda Zia's funeral and conveyed a letter of condolence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman.

Also Read: Yunus, Hasina, Modi offer condolences as Bangladesh ex-PM Khaleda Zia dies

During the brief interaction, Jaishankar expressed confidence that Zia’s vision and values would continue to guide ties between the two countries. Rahman, the acting BNP chairman and Zia’s eldest son, is seen as a leading contender ahead of the February 12 parliamentary elections. Zia, a three-time prime minister, died on Tuesday after a prolonged illness.

At the venue, where senior ministers and dignitaries from neighbouring countries had gathered, Jaishankar exchanged greetings with Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, an interaction Indian government sources said should not be interpreted politically. Jaishankar also met several regional leaders and briefly held discussions with Bangladeshi officials.