State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Sunday said Bangladesh wants to “reset” its bilateral relationship with India after what he described as an uncomfortable relationship over 15 years under an “authoritarian, corrupt and exploitative” regime.
“We want to move towards a new relationship, which should be done through bilateral discussions, not through a multilateral forum,” Kobir said while responding to a question at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Responding to a question, he said, “Breakfast in India, lunch in India, dinner in India - then when will you eat your own food?”
“We have to get out of the India fascination. India is just another country, and Bangladesh wants good bilateral relations with it,” Kobir said.
He said his earlier remarks specifically referred to India and the need to rebuild bilateral relations through direct bilateral engagement.
“What I said was mainly applicable to India. We want to build a good working bilateral relationship with India,” he said.
Kobir said Bangladesh’s first engagement with a country with which it wants to develop better relations should ideally be through a bilateral visit rather than a meeting on the sidelines of a multilateral forum.
“That was said only in the case of India. I never said that whenever we attend a multilateral event, we will not meet anyone,” he said.
He clarified, however, that this does not mean Bangladesh will avoid meeting countries on the sidelines of international forums.
Asked about recent incidents along the Bangladesh-India border, Kobir said the government would address such issues through diplomatic channels. “We will resolve these issues through diplomatic discussions,” he said.
He said Bangladesh would raise its concerns with India at every appropriate level while adhering to international law, border protocols and agreements between the two countries.
Asked about the reported review of 101 MoUs, Kobir said the agreements were being scrutinised and reviewed through the parliamentary process.
The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will once again bring together world leaders to revitalise global cooperation, give a critical push to the Sustainable Development Goals and drive collective action for peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet.
The State Minister said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to leave for New York on September 21 to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and will stay there until September 26.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly, where he will present Bangladesh’s new vision and highlight the country’s democratic transition and aspirations for the future.
“He will share his thoughts and vision for the future of Bangladesh with world leaders,” Kobir told reporters.
“He will have a very busy schedule in New York,” Kobir said, adding that the Prime Minister would hold meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Asked whether the UN Refugee Convention would be discussed during the visit, Kobir said Bangladesh would organise a sideline event focusing on the Rohingya crisis.
“There will be a high-level discussion or meeting on the Rohingya crisis as part of the visit. It is a major priority for us,” he said.
Asked about the possibility of a sideline meeting between the Prime Minister and US President Donald Trump, the state minister said such meetings are often decided at the last moment during major international conferences.
“The primary focus of the Prime Minister’s visit is to address the UN General Assembly,” he said, adding that details of the sideline meetings would be known in due course.