The political turmoil in Bangladesh is the country’s “internal matter” but India is keen to continue the stable relationship, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told NDTV on Tuesday afternoon, underscoring the maxim that neighboring countries are “interdependent”.
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr. Jaishankar touched on Russia’s war against Ukraine and Delhi’s potential role for peacemakers in that conflict, as well as Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s comment, the war in Gaza and a wave of foreign visits in the first hundred days of the premiership. Third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“What is happening is their internal affair. Bangladesh is our neighbor and the relationship from our side is something we want to keep stable. We have good trade… our people-to-people ties are good… I want that let the relationship will remain that way,” Jaishankar said about the crisis in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh suffered civil unrest and violence last month – the result of a student-led movement against government job quotas – forcing then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign. Ms Hasina fled Dhaka in a military plane to land at an air base near Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.
She was expected to go to London to seek political asylum, but UK Home Office sources told NDTV that rules do not allow people to travel to that country to seek asylum or temporary refuge.
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For now, Ms. Hasina is believed to be in the custody of Indian intelligence services.
Last month, Mr Jaishankar told Parliament that Ms Hasina’s office had sought permission to flee Dhaka for Delhi “at very short notice”. At an all-party briefing, he said the Indian government was willing to give Ms Hasina time to decide her next steps, including a political retirement.
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Last week, Nobel laureate Yunus – who is leading an interim government – said his country also wants to maintain its previous good relationship with India, but that these ties must reflect “fairness and equality”. Mr Yunus said he had received a congratulatory phone call from Prime Minister Modi.
“We want the world to recognize Bangladesh as a respected democracy,” the 84-year-old, who opted for the title ‘Chief Advisor’ instead of ‘Prime Minister’, said in his first address to his country.
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For Ms Hasina, the chief adviser issued a stern warning, demanding that she remain silent to avoid endangering relations between the two countries until her extradition is requested. “If India wants to keep her until Bangladesh wants her back, the condition is that she should keep her mouth shut,” he said.
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