United News of Bangladesh

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner and Charge d' Affaires to Bangladesh Pawan Badhe and conveyed Dhaka’s displeasure to New Delhi regarding the incident involving PM’s Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman at Delhi airport. A diplomatic source confirmed the development to UNB in the afternoon without elaborating further. High Commissioner-designate Dinesh Trivedi, who arrived here recently, is yet to submit his credentials. Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman described the incident as “unexpected and unfortunate” and said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking appropriate steps regarding the matter. "It is an unexpected incident, unfortunate too," he said while briefly talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Not Welcoming While responding to a question, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said the incident is certainly not 'welcoming', and they do not expect this kind of incident to happen. “Our ministry is looking into this and communicating with India, and will certainly take action, if required, once the full details of the incident are known,” she said. The State Minister said that, firstly, the respective Director General (Ishrat Jahan - South Asia Wing) needs to know what happened. “Let our DG first find out what happened at India's immigration by gathering all the information, and then the ministry will take whatever steps are required.” Prime Minister’s Adviser on Policy and Strategy Affairs Dr Zahed returned home on Monday via Colombo after he was stopped at Delhi airport by Indian immigration authorities on Sunday evening as his name was reportedly flagged during a security check. Sources close to Dr Zahed told UNB that he was subjected to "undue harassment" at Delhi airport, but there has been no comment so far from Dhaka or New Delhi regarding the matter. The Adviser was not carrying a diplomatic passport. He was travelling on a regular Bangladeshi (green) passport with a SAARC visa. The Adviser was scheduled to attend the 28th meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). India is hosting the meeting (June 15-16) in New Delhi. The meeting brought together senior government officials from IORA Member States to review progress, discuss regional priorities, and advance cooperation across the Indian Ocean region under the theme of ‘Innovation, Openness, Resilience and Adaptability.’ The Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) is the second-highest decision-making body of IORA and serves as the organisation’s principal coordinating mechanism. Comprising senior government representatives from Member States, the CSO is responsible for reviewing and discussing key agenda items, making recommendations, and submitting policy matters to the Council of Ministers (COM) for final approval.

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on Tuesday defended Bangladesh’s position in its reciprocal trade agreement with the US, urging critics to view the deal in a global context and compare it with similar agreements signed by other countries. He made the remarks after a meeting with a delegation led by Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch in the capital. Responding to a question on the conditions of the deal, the foreign minister said open discussion on such agreements is important. “It is very good that there is discussion on this and any agreement should be open to debate.” “We are not the only country to sign such agreements. Other countries around the world have done the same,” said the foreign minister. He cited examples, saying that countries like Indonesia have agreed to even higher numbers of similar provisions. “So, when you read Bangladesh’s agreement, you should read it alongside those of Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and others. That way, you will be able to better understand the context,” he added. Responding to a question regarding the long-pending Teesta water-sharing agreement—stalled since 2011 due to objections from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee—the minister said Bangladesh does not want to sit idle waiting for India’s initiative. “Look, a government has not yet been formed in West Bengal and what they are thinking or planning is for them to say. It is not my job to read their minds,” he said. “Of course, there will be expectations that the agreement reached earlier could be reconsidered in the current context. But we cannot remain idle for that we have to carry on with our own work,” he added. Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir also said on Tuesday that the Bangladesh-US trade agreement should be utilised for mutual benefit, stressing that there is no reason for concern over the deal. He made the remarks while talking to reporters after a meeting with US Assistant Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch at the conference room of his ministry in the morning. The minister said international agreements are always built on mutual cooperation. “Any international agreement is shaped by both parties. It is designed to create a win-win situation, taking into account the interests of both sides. Therefore, there is nothing to worry about this agreement,” he said. He noted that the current government did not initiate the agreement but inherited it as part of state continuity. “A state-level agreement is not like a personal contract that can be cancelled at will. It is a reality, and we want to utilise it to expand trade and investment in the country,” Muktadir added. On the possibility of cancelling the agreement with the US, Muktadir said the government, as the elected representative of the people, always prioritises national interest. “If any clause in the agreement goes against Bangladesh’s interests, there is scope for amendment within the agreement itself. It has a self-correcting mechanism,” he said.