B’desh assures India ties unaffected by Sheikh Hasina’s prolonged stay

Dhaka/New Delhi: A top adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government on Monday said that deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s extended stay in India will not hurt bilateral relations and Dhaka will always try to maintain good relations with New Delhi. Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain made the remarks when asked whether bilateral ties with India would be affected if Hasina’s stay in India gets prolonged.

“This is a hypothetical question. If someone stays in a country why the relations with that particular country would be affected? There is no reason for that,” he said, emphasising that bilateral relations are a big matter. Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India last week following widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.

Hossain said bilateral relations are a relation of interest and friendship is also of interest.

“Friendship does not exist if the interest is hurt.”

He said the two sides - Bangladesh and India - have interests and they will follow those interests. Hossain said the relationship between the two countries “is not influenced by the presence of one individual in a country” while “India has its interests, and Bangladesh has its interests”. Earlier, he briefed the diplomats stationed in Dhaka, including Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma, on the situation in Bangladesh and sought their support.“We believe that all our friends and partners in the international community would continue to stand by the interim government and our people as we embark on charting a new future for Bangladesh,” Hossain told the diplomats. Hossain, a career diplomat and former foreign secretary, reaffirmed that Bangladesh was committed to upholding all agreements made with other countries.

The adviser accused the Awami League regime of committing gross human rights violations in their attempts to suppress a popular movement eventually resulting in its ouster.