Jaishankar Urges Bangladesh to Clarify Its Stance on Relations with India
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has called on Bangladesh to make a definitive choice regarding its relationship with India, following a series of hostile statements from Dhaka’s interim government. Speaking on Sunday, Jaishankar firmly denounced remarks made by Bangladesh’s leadership and reiterated India’s concerns about the treatment of minorities in the neighboring country.
Jaishankar’s comments come days after his meeting with Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain in Muscat, where he expressed India’s displeasure over what he described as inflammatory rhetoric emanating from Dhaka.
“We have a long and special history with Bangladesh going back to 1971. Things happened there last year [referring to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina]. But what is very troubling for India is the spate of attacks on the minorities. Obviously, it is something that impacts our thinking, and we have to speak up about it, which we have done,” Jaishankar stated.
He emphasized that Bangladesh must make a clear decision about its diplomatic approach towards India, rather than maintaining a contradictory stance. “They have their politics—you can agree, you can disagree—but at the end of the day, we are their neighbor. They have to make up their mind about what kind of relationship they want with us,” he added.
Jaishankar criticized the Bangladesh interim government’s frequent anti-India rhetoric, stating that India does not appreciate constant hostility from Dhaka. “If every day someone in the interim government stands up and blames India for everything, some of those things, if you look at the reports, are absolutely ridiculous. You cannot, on the one hand, say you want good relations with us but then blame us for everything that goes wrong,” he remarked.
During his discussions with Hossain in Muscat, Jaishankar also made it clear that India strongly opposes any attempt to “normalize terrorism” in Bangladesh. This statement underscores India’s broader concerns regarding security and regional stability amid recent political shifts in Dhaka.
Bangladesh is currently under the leadership of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and his team of advisors following the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The political transition has seen a shift in diplomatic engagements, with India closely monitoring developments in its eastern neighbor.
Jaishankar’s remarks highlight India’s growing concerns over its relationship with Bangladesh, as New Delhi seeks clarity and stability in bilateral ties while calling for an end to anti-India sentiment from Dhaka’s interim leadership.
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