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Indian High Commissioner Pranay Kumar Verma has said there were no specific discussions regarding former prime minister Sheikh Hasina during his meeting with Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin.
"There wasn’t a specific issue. We mainly discussed how to improve our relationship in the future,” Verma told journalists after the meeting at the foreign ministry on Sunday, bdnews24.com reports.
Hasina has been staying in India since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5. An interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took the reins on August 8.
On October 17, the International Crimes Tribunal issued an arrest warrant against Hasina in connection with allegations of genocide.
Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain said the caretaker administration would take all necessary steps to arrange for the former prime minister's return within a month in compliance with the arrest warrant.
However, he added that they are not formally aware of the status under which Hasina is staying in India.
During a press briefing on the day the arrest warrant was issued, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “The former prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina came to India for security. She is still here.”
However, the spokesperson declined to comment on the arrest warrant issued against the former premier in connection with the genocide trial.
Amid these discussions, Verma met foreign secretary Jashim on Sunday.
“This is part of regular meetings. We discussed security and development between the two countries. We maintain positive relations,” Verma said.
He highlighted the mutual dependencies between India and Bangladesh, adding that both nations rely on each other and must continue to enhance this relationship for the benefit of their people.
Since the change of power, India has effectively suspended visa operations in Bangladesh. In response to a query, Verma said staffing shortages at the High Commission have hindered the resumption of regular travel visas for Bangladeshis.
He added, “However, emergency visas for medical and educational purposes are still available in limited quantities.”
A press release from the foreign ministry outlined the following bilateral issues discussed during the meeting:
• Status of the return of the Indian workforce to Bangladesh who had been engaged in various Line of Credit, or LoC projects
• Status of Indian visa operations
• Renewal of the Revised Travel Arrangement, or RTA
• Early consular access for Indian fishermen detained in Bangladesh last week
• Repatriation of Bangladeshi fishermen detained by Indian authorities in mid-September
• Holding of meetings for regular bilateral mechanisms, including the Foreign Office Consultations, or FOC