Want ties with India based on mutual respect: B'desh foreign adviser

Bangladesh wants good working relations with India based on mutual respect and shared interests, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain said on Monday.

Hossain made the remarks while responding to a question on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's recent remarks on bilateral relations between the two countries. 

"Of course, Bangladesh will determine its stance. But at the same time, India also needs to decide what kind of relationship it wants with Bangladesh. This is a mutual matter, and there is nothing wrong in stating that, Hossain was quoted as saying by the state-run BSS news agency. 

He said that Bangladesh has a clear stance on its relations with India, emphasising the importance of a good working relationship based on mutual respect and shared interests.

We want a relationship built on mutual understanding, and there is no ambiguity in our position, he told reporters.

Hossain also criticised ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's statements during her stay in India, saying that her remarks were detrimental to Dhaka-Delhi relations.

If we want to improve ties, then a former prime minister making various statements while enjoying Indian hospitality only fuels tensions. It is widely recognized that her remarks are adding fuel to the fire, he asserted.

He also said that Bangladesh's minority issue cannot be India's concern.

"Bangladesh's minorities are Bangladesh's issue, just as how India treats its minorities is India's concern," Hossain was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune newspaper.

"Therefore, I believe the policy of non-interference should be followed. We are looking after the issue of minorities. They are citizens of Bangladesh. They have the same rights as I do, and the government will try to ensure those rights," he added.

Hossain and Jaishankar recently met on the sidelines of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in the Omani capital Muscat.

During their meeting, Jaishankar conveyed that Bangladesh "should not normalise terrorism".

Bangladesh and India share over 4,000 km long international border.