B’desh-India ties should be ‘very close’ despite regime change: Yunus

Dhaka: Bangladesh interim government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that Dhaka-Delhi relations should be “very close” despite the recent regime change in the country, asserting that it is in the interest of both countries.

Yunus, the 84-year-old economist, became Chief Adviser on August 8 following the resignation of then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled the country on August 5 amidst student-led mass protests.

“Relations between the two countries must be very close. There can be no alternative to this. They need this, we need this. This is essential from any angle, whether it’s about economics, security or water,” he was quoted as saying by Bengali language daily Prothom Alo on Tuesday.

When asked for his comments on recent tensions in bilateral ties, Yunus said the recent incidents in Bangladesh might have “disheartened” India and “they were not pleased with the changes.” He did not mention the incidents.

“It will be difficult for us to move along without each other. It is only natural that we have close ties and good relations in every sphere,” he said.

India has urged the interim Bangladesh government to ensure peaceful religious events for the Hindu community in the South Asian country.

More than 600 persons, including Hindus, were killed during violent protests in Bangladesh following the ouster of Hasina-led government, according to a UN report.

“Things will be clear to them when they see that the entire world is accepting us, how can they not accept us?” he added.

He said as far as South Asian diplomacy was concerned, his interim government placed high importance on strengthening ties with

India and “at the same time, strengthening SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation”.

Yunus said Delhi must forge good relations with Bangladesh not because “we are forcing them” but because this was “necessary in their own interest” as well.

“Just as we need them in our interest, they need us in their interest. So, we have to forget certain transient matters...

The main thing is to maintain good relations. We have to use everything in our power to advance towards that,” he said.

His experiment of poor men’s banking earned Bangladesh the repute of being the home of microcredit, but he was in a protracted row for obscure reasons with the Awami League regime.

Several years ago, Yunus insisted that Bangladesh should take the opportunity of “growing up with two giants – India and China”.