Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Sunday expressed optimism that Bangladesh and India would be able to overcome the kind of stalemate that two neighbouring countries witnessed over the last few months.
“We expect that we will be able to overcome this impasse. Establishing mutual communication and meeting each other are very important to overcome any such stalemate,” he said, adding that Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is coming to Bangladesh on Monday.
Speaking at a seminar at the Jatiya Press Club, Hossain said the Bangladesh-India Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) is a standing mechanism and such a meeting at foreign secretary-level is nothing abnormal.
“I hope they (foreign secretaries) will have a fruitful discussion,” said the Adviser, noting that it is important to acknowledge that there is a problem if they want to solve any problem.
He said it is also important to note that the relations between Bangladesh and India witnessed changes after August 5 and both sides need to try and take forward the relations accepting this changed reality.
The downturn that the two countries witnessed over the last few months in terms of bilateral business activities affected both Bangladesh and India, not just Bangladesh got affected, said the Adviser.
He referred to the impacts that had on businesses in Kolkata and West Bengal.
Bangladesh Chapter of the SAARC Journalists Forum hosted the seminar titled “The SAARC: People of South Asia Crave For” to commemorate the SAARC Day.
SAARC Journalists Forum is a regional organisation of working journalists headquartered in Kathmandu.
Former FBCCI President Abdul Awal Mintoo and strategic expert Brig Gen Hasan Nasir also spoke at the seminar. Mostafa Kamal Majumder, former editor of The New Nation, delivered the keynote address.
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The Foreign Adviser said Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is very sincere to revitalise the SAARC and the efforts to that end can begin with foreign-secretary level standing committee meeting of the SAARC. It might take some time to see the SAARC Summit take place and noted that SAARC remains relevant, he said.
The Adviser urged the foreign journalists to take this message from Bangladesh and the people of Bangladesh that they favour revitalising the SAARC, making it effective again. “Media have a big role to play.”
“SAARC is a forgotten word. If you can revitalise it, this will give dividends to the people of the whole region,” Chief Adviser Prof Yunus told Secretary General of SAARC Golam Sarwar recently.
Amid strained ties and growing criticisms from both sides on post-August 5 issues, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is coming to Bangladesh on Monday to hold several meetings apart from attending the foreign secretary-level talks to address mutual concerns.
This is going to be the first visit to be made by a senior Indian government official to Bangladesh since the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus, came to power on August 8.
Foreign Secretary Misri and his Bangladesh counterpart, Md Jashim Uddin, will lead their respective delegation at the Bangladesh-India Foreign Office Consultations (FOC).
"The Foreign Secretary is scheduled to visit Bangladesh on the 9th of December. He will meet his counterpart, and there will be several other meetings during the visit," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during the weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday.
The FOC led by the Foreign Secretaries is a structured engagement between Bangladesh-India. "We look forward to this meeting," said the MEA spokesperson.
Spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Mohammad Rafiqul Alam said there are always efforts to keep all the elements of the bilateral relations on agenda. "Discussion is underway."
He, however, said there are some broad areas - trade, border management, connectivity, and water issues - and these will be discussed.
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Asked about the situation on the ground in Bangladesh and the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, the MEA reiterated its hope that the legal rights of the concerned individuals are respected and the trial is conducted in a "fair and transparent" manner.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain on Wednesday said Bangladesh wants good relations with India on a reciprocal basis.
“It is very clear that we want good relations, but it should be reciprocal. We need to work to that end,” he told reporters while responding to a question at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The FOC is likely to cover a range of bilateral issues, including the potential extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India and visa issues.
The last FOC, an institutional dialogue mechanism between the two foreign secretaries to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, was held in New Delhi on 24 November 2023.
Both sides held comprehensive discussions on a wide range of issues covering border and security, trade, commerce and connectivity, cooperation in water, power and energy sectors, people to people ties and development cooperation in Bangladesh. They also exchanged views on sub, regional, regional and multilateral issues.