On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that India has sent a “strong protest” to Dhaka over divisive remarks made by Mahfuj Alam, a senior assistant to Bangladesh’s interim government. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal warned leaders in the neighboring nation that New Delhi want to “remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments”.
Jaiswal restated India’s declaration that it is interested in developing ties with Bangladesh’s interim government. Such statements, he claimed, “underline the need for responsibility in public articulation”.
Today, Jaiswal said at a press conference, “We have registered our strong protest on this issue with the Bangladesh side. We understand that the post being referred to has reportedly been taken down. We would like to remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments. While India has repeatedly signaled interest in fostering relations with the people and the interim government of Bangladesh, such comments underline the need for responsibility in public articulation”.
According to PTI, Alam stated in a since-deleted Facebook post that India need to acknowledge the rebellion that compelled Sheikh Hasina to step down as Bangladesh’s prime minister.
Following violent demonstrations against reservations in government positions, Hasina was compelled to step down.
She fled Dhaka in a military plane in August, as mobs threatened her safety in the capital city. After she fled the country, her house was ransacked by mobs.
India and Bangladesh’s relations have been tense ever since Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus headed the interim government.
New Delhi said that the interim government in Dhaka is primarily responsible for safeguarding the lives and freedoms of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, expressing worry over recent acts of violence against them.
The remarks were delivered in the Rajya Sabha by Kirti Vardhan Singh, the state minister of external affairs, less than two weeks after foreign secretary Vikram Misri visited Bangladesh and informed members of the caretaker administration of India’s concerns regarding minorities. He added, “India’s concerns regarding the need to ensure the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh have been conveyed and reiterated to the authorities of the interim government of Bangladesh on various occasions, including at the highest level”.
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