India and Bangladesh Engage in High-Level Foreign Secretary Discussions Amid Rising Tensions

Dhaka, Dec 9 (NationPress) Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conducted discussions with his Bangladeshi counterpart Md. Jashim Uddin in Dhaka on Monday afternoon, with the delegation-level talks between the two neighboring nations extending for almost two hours, according to local media.

Misri, who is on a brief visit to Dhaka, also participated in a private one-on-one meeting with the Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary at the state guest house Padma.

Local media outlets in Dhaka reported that the senior Indian diplomat is expected to meet with the country's Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Towhid Hossain and Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, who currently leads the interim government of Bangladesh, before returning to New Delhi in the evening.

These meetings occur as the relations between the two nations have deteriorated over recent months, with India expressing grave concerns regarding the rise in extremist rhetoric, a spike in violent incidents, and provocations, particularly directed at the Hindu community in Bangladesh.

In September, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar had a bilateral discussion with Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, marking the first high-level dialogue between the two nations following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.

India has persistently and emphatically communicated to the Bangladesh government about the threats and targeted assaults on Hindus and other minorities. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) affirmed last month that the interim government must fulfill its duty of safeguarding all minorities after the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote and affiliated with Iskcon Bangladesh.

Hindus globally are appalled by the multiple assaults on their community and other minorities perpetrated by extremist factions in Bangladesh.

We are alarmed by the escalation of extremist rhetoric, rising violence, and provocations. These events cannot merely be considered media exaggerations. We again urge Bangladesh to undertake all necessary measures to protect all minorities, stated the MEA previously.

Several leaders of Bangladesh's interim government, including Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, who spearheaded the so-called 'Anti-Discrimination Student Movement' that led to the collapse of Hasina's government, continue to propagate a disinformation campaign against Hindus and the spiritual organization Iskcon, labeling it an 'agent of the Awami League' that should be banned immediately in the country.

The former Prime Minister of Bangladesh has vehemently condemned the 'tortures' inflicted upon ordinary citizens by the interim government and has called for the 'immediate release' of the Hindu priest.

A senior leader of the Sanatan religious community has been wrongfully detained and must be released at once, asserted the president of the Bangladesh Awami League (AL) and the daughter of the 'Father of the Nation,' Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, last month.

A temple was set ablaze in Chittagong. Previously, mosques, shrines, churches, monasteries, and the homes of the Ahmadiyya community have suffered attacks, vandalism, and arson. Religious freedom and the safety of life and property for all communities must be guaranteed, stated Hasina.

After countless Awami League leaders and activists have been killed, students and law enforcement members are now facing harassment through assaults and arrests. I vehemently condemn and protest these anarchic actions, she added.