New Delhi: India on Sunday rejected allegations from Bangladesh that its territory was being used for activities hostile to Dhaka and called for a calm atmosphere ahead of the neighbouring country’s parliamentary elections. The response followed the Bangladesh foreign ministry’s decision to summon Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma earlier in the day to convey concerns over what it described as “incendiary” remarks made by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina while in India. Dhaka also raised the conduct of certain Awami League members staying in India.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said, “India categorically rejects the assertions made by the interim government of Bangladesh in its press note.” It added that New Delhi has consistently supported “free, fair, inclusive and credible elections in Bangladesh in a peaceful atmosphere.” The ministry reaffirmed that India “has never allowed its territory to be used for activities inimical to the interests of the friendly people of Bangladesh.”
India further noted, “We expect that the interim government of Bangladesh will take all necessary measures for ensuring internal law and order, including for the purpose of holding peaceful elections.”
Bangladesh is scheduled to vote on February 12 in its first general election since Sheikh Hasina’s government collapsed in August last year after massive protests. The Awami League has dismissed the upcoming polls, arguing that the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus cannot deliver a free or normal electoral environment. In a statement on Thursday, the party said it had become clear that the “current occupying authority is entirely biased” and unable to ensure conditions that reflect transparency, neutrality and the will of the people.
Hasina, 78, has been residing in India since fleeing Bangladesh on August 5 last year. She was sentenced to death in November by a special tribunal in Dhaka for “crimes against humanity” linked to her government’s crackdown on student-led demonstrations.