Page 7 - India-bangladesh

India desires positive, constructive ties with B'desh: Foreign secy Misri

The Foreign Secretary, who visited Bangladesh, told reporters in Dhaka that he had frank, candid, and constructive exchange of views with his interlocutors in the neighbouring country

Mass Hindu migration from B'desh unlikely at present: Abhijit Banerjee

The current and evolving situation in Bangladesh is unlikely to trigger a fresh round of exodus of minority Hindus into India, Nobel laureate economist Abhijit Banerjee said. Historically, the academic explained, migration is mainly driven by social networks and economic opportunities, rather than persecution, even in the context of the crisis faced by minorities in Bangladesh. Speaking exclusively to PTI during his recent visit to the city to participate in a curtain-raiser event of the 16th edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, where his latest title Chhaunk: On Food, Economics and Society' was launched, Banerjee said he felt India's "explicit political preference for Hindu migrants from Bangladesh" is what prompted the population to leave their homeland in the past, rather than the attacks on the community. "People always leave for another country where they have their families or to a richer nation where the economic opportunities are higher," the Nobel laureate said

Will we have lollypop? Mamata slams 'occupy' claim of Bangladeshi politicos

Taking a dig at a section of Bangladeshi politicians, who said the country has legitimate claims over Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wondered whether Indians "would have lollipop" when external forces would try to occupy Indian lands. Speaking in the West Bengal Assembly, she urged people to remain calm and not get provoked by statements made in Bangladesh, stating that West Bengal will always stand by any decision taken by the Centre. Mocking some Bangladeshi leaders, who have made provocative statements recently, she said, "Stay calm and healthy and have peace of mind." A Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) recently said in a public meeting in Dhaka that the country has legitimate claims over Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Asking people of West Bengal to remain calm and not get swayed by provocative statements made by some people in Bangladesh, she said, "In our state, even imams have condemned the comments and attacks on minorities in ..

Foreign secretary Misri meets B'desh counterpart in Dhaka amid frosty ties

Foreign Secretaries of India and Bangladesh met here Monday for the high-level talks between the two nations amid strained bilateral ties following the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrived in Dhaka earlier in the day on an Indian Air Force jet for a day-long visit. Soon after his arrival here, Misri met his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohammad Jashim Uddin and held one-on-one talks before the formal meeting with delegates from both sides. It is the first high-level visit by an Indian official since August 5 when Hasina was ousted. "The meeting between our foreign secretary Jashim Uddin and his counterpart Vikram Misri is taking place as scheduled at the state guest house Padma. They first held brief one-on-one talks and then the formal meeting began with delegates from both sides, a Bangladeshi foreign ministry official said. The official added that the Bangladeshi side would hold a media briefing later Monday about the talks, which

Bangladesh needs India's support to come out of economic strain: Majumdar

Atrocities which are being committed against the Hindus in Bangladesh should be stopped, West Bengal BJP President and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar added

Foreign secy Misri in Dhaka: Agenda, India-Bangladesh ties status explained

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is on a one-day visit to Bangladesh, where he is expected to raise India's concerns over attacks on minorities, including Hindus

Foreign Secy Misri holds talks with B'deshi counterpart amid strained ties

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrived in Bangladesh on Monday on a day-long visit, the first high-level trip from India after a massive uprising ended deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule in August. Misri's visit comes amid increasing strain in ties between New Delhi and Dhaka over attacks on minorities, including Hindus, in Bangladesh after Hasina's ouster. He is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Md. Jashim Uddin and meet the country's de-facto foreign minister Mohammad Touhid Hossain. He is expected to raise with Dhaka India's concerns over attacks. The close ties between India and Bangladesh came under severe strain after Hasina was forced to leave the country in the face of a massive anti-government protest in August. Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus came to power days after Hasina took shelter in India. The relations deteriorated further in recent weeks over attacks on Hindus and the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna .

Hit by absence of B'desh tourists, Kolkata traders think of wooing locals

The ongoing crisis in Bangladesh and subsequent non-arrival of travellers from there has led to a blow to the traders of a particular area in central Kolkata, which is popular among tourists from the neighbouring country for shopping and staying. A section of those perplexed traders are staring at a void, while others are either looking at new avenues or decided to woo back the Indian customers they have lost in the past. An estimated 15,000 families are now affected by the situation. According to a trader, in the past, local customers and tourists from other states in India used to visit these areas for various purposes. They were more or less ignored by the traders and their population gradually dwindled over the years. "Now there is a big question mark. They don't know what to do they don't know in which direction their business will go since they are dependent only on the Bangladeshis," the National Committee Member of Travel Agents Federation of India (East India), Anil Punjab

Identify Bangladeshis, Rohingya working as delivery agents: Giriraj Singh

Union minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday claimed Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya were working as delivery agents for food delivery companies and online shopping platforms and added that they should be identified. Singh made these remarks in Hyderabad, where he attended the convocation of NIFT-Hyderabad. "The services sector, whether it is Zomato, Swiggy or Flipkart, the delivery boys are Bangladeshis and Rohingya. Efforts should be made to identify them and hand them over to police," he told PTI Videos on the sidelines of the event. The Union minister also threw his weight behind Yogi Adityanath over his comments drawing a parallel between Sambhal and Bangladesh, saying the Uttar Pradesh chief minister did not say anything wrong. Adityanath had on Thursday said the actions of Mughal emperor Babur's commander in Ayodhya and Sambhal 500 years ago and the events happening in Bangladesh at present shared the same nature and intent. "Look at the kind of acts our enemies in neighbour

Why Foreign Secretary Misri's Bangladesh visit is vital amid strained ties

India's visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in bilateral relations, particularly concerning the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government

Hotels in Assam not to host B'desh nationals till attacks on Hindus stop

Hotels in Barak Valley of Assam have announced they would not host any Bangladesh national till attacks on Hindus and other minorities in the neighbouring country stop. Barak Valley, which comprises three districts of Cachar, Sribhumi (formerly Karimganj) and Hailakandi, shares a 129-km-long border with Bangladesh's Sylhet region. "The situation of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh is concerning. We cannot accept this in any way. We have, therefore, decided to stop hosting any national from that country in all the three districts of Barak Valley until the situation improves and atrocities on the Hindus stop. This is our form of protest," Barak Valley Hotel and Restaurant Association president Babul Rai told reporters on Friday. "The people of Bangladesh must ensure that stability returns to the country. Only if the situation improves, we can reconsider our decision," he said. A few days ago, Bajrang Dal had asked organisers of an ongoing global expo in Silchar to close down

Foreign Secretary Misri to visit Bangladesh on Dec 9 amid strain in ties

India on Friday announced that Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will travel to Bangladesh on Monday, a visit that comes amid increasing strain in ties between New Delhi and Dhaka over attacks on minorities, including Hindus, in the neighbouring country. It will be the first high-level visit from New Delhi to Dhaka after deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh and took shelter in India following massive anti-government protests. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Misri will travel to Bangladesh to attend a meeting under the framework of Foreign Office Consultations. In Dhaka, the foreign secretary will hold talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart, besides holding several other meetings, he said. "The foreign secretary is scheduled to visit Bangladesh for Foreign Office Consultations on December 9. This is part of our structured interactions with the Bangladesh side," Jaiswal said. Jaiswal was responding to a question at his weekly media .

Pakistan ISI in North East? Bangladesh visa policy shift poses challenges

Northeast extremist groups have a history of launching hit-and-run attacks in India from bases in Bangladesh, allegedly with support from Pakistan's ISI and Bangladeshi intelligence agencies

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri likely to visit Bangladesh next week

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is likely to visit Bangladesh next week for a foreign secretary-level meeting, amid tensions between the two countries after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power. Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hosain said the scheduled Foreign Secretary-level Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) between Bangladesh and India will take place in Dhaka on December 9 or 10, the state-run BSS news agency reported. It will be the first high-level visit by a senior Indian government official to Bangladesh since the interim government came to power on August 8 after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister. "It is very clear that we want a good relationship (with India)," Hosain told reporters at the Foreign Ministry here. However, he emphasised that relations between Bangladesh and India must be built on a reciprocal basis. "Both sides need to want that and should work for it." Hosain said while the FOC is scheduled for December 10, it might be

Hasina destroyed governance, need reforms before elections are held: Yunus

Bangladesh interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said the Sheikh Hasina regime destroyed everything, as he pledged to hold general elections only after ushering in constitutional and judicial reforms, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported on Wednesday citing an interview he gave to a Japanese newspaper. The 84-year-old Nobel laureate, in an interview with Nikkei Asia, said, "We need comprehensive reforms in the economy, governance, bureaucracy and judiciary (before holding elections)." Yunus also reiterated that India should extradite Hasina once her trial in the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh concludes. "Once the trial concludes and a verdict is reached, we will formally request India to hand her over," Yunus said, adding that under an international law signed by both countries, "India would be obligated to comply." The chief adviser also said the Indian government's concern about the safety of Hindus is not based on facts as much of what's being said i

Grains for gold: Govt export curbs drive boom in barter smuggling

The practice of smuggling gold to buy grain has persisted even after India, the world's second-largest gold consumer, slashed 9 percentage points from its import duty in July

US-India talks this week likely to address Bangladesh minorities, China

Donald Lu, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, is slated to visit India to co-lead the US-India East Asia Consultations, focusing on global and regional issues

India willing to build constructive relationship with B'desh: India envoy

Bangladesh has suspended all activities of its Assistant High Commission in Agartala after the breach of its premises

Bangladesh suspends visa services in Agartala mission over security reasons

The Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Tripura's capital Agartala on Tuesday announced the suspension of all visa and consular services with immediate effect until further notice because of "security reasons", a day after the mission's premises was breached by a group of people protesting against the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Dhaka. Amid escalating tensions between the two countries, Dhaka summoned the Indian envoy posted there to protest against the alleged vandalism of its mission in Tripura. Also on Tuesday, police registered a suo motu case and arrested seven people for their alleged involvement in the incident at the Bangladesh mission. Action was also taken against four policemen for dereliction of duty, West Tripura district SP Kiran Kumar K said. "Given the security situation, all visa and consular services at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission, Agartala, will remain suspended until further notice. This comes into effect immediately," Md Al-Amee

No relief for priest Chinmoy Das, B'desh court to resume hearing on Jan 2

Daily Star Bangladesh reported that the Chattogram court deferred to January 2 the hearing on the bail petition of Chinmoy Krishna Das