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Bangladesh desires an immediate peaceful end to the raging tensions between India and Pakistan through dialogue, says Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain, as its spillovers affect all in the region.
He made the statement Sunday when asked to know about Bangladesh's stance over the Indo-Pak crisis triggered by a remote resort attack in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir.
He also made it clear that Dhaka is not in favour of taking any initiative in advance for mediation unless both parties desire so.
The Foreign Affairs Adviser of the interim government was talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs--incidentally, in the wake of warlike postures between the two rival neighbours over the Kashmir incident.
"Our position is clear-we want peace in South Asia. We are aware that India and Pakistan have had conflicts and complex relations over various issues for a long time. But we do not want any major conflict to arise that could pose a danger to the people of this region. We maintain good relations with both India and Pakistan," he said.
Mentioning that a few countries have offered to mediate crisis resolution, the adviser hopes they will resolve their issues through dialogue.
"Whether through mediation or bilateral talks, we want tensions to be reduced and peace to be maintained."
In response to a question as to whether Bangladesh, a close neighbour, could play a mediating role, especially since Iran and Saudi Arabia have already offered to mediate between India and Pakistan, Touhid Hossain said, "I don't think we should take any mediating role at this moment. We would prefer that they resolve their issues between themselves."
He added: "If they seek our assistance-if they say, 'Please mediate'-then we might consider stepping in. But, before that, we do not want to take any initiative."
Asked if the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan could have any impact on Bangladesh, the Foreign Affairs Adviser quipped in the present-day interdependent world, everything affects everyone to some extent.
"So, I wouldn't say that we would be completely unaffected. However, their conflict has no direct impact on us because we have not taken sides. That said, in matters of trade and commerce, any conflict or deterioration in relations can have effects."
He added, "If we have any import interests with them, we will continue with that."
On the question of whether additional security measures have been taken on the Bangladesh-India border, the adviser said, "Those who work directly with security matters would be better positioned to answer that. At this moment, I have no such information."
Responding to a question on the reported arrest of Bangladeshis in India, the foreign adviser said the ministry came to know about it through media reports but it was not confirmed through official channel.
"We have to have official confirmation and have to know whether they are really citizens of Bangladesh because in India there are many Bengali- speaking people."
And if it is found that they are really Bangladeshi citizens, they will be taken back, he added.
Asked about Bangladesh government's position regarding contact with the Arakan Army in Myanmar at the next door, he said establishing contact with the Arakan Army becomes inevitable as they are in control of the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
"So, though they are non-state actor, we have to contact them due to the reality, and as we cannot contact them formally, informal contact was made," he explains the exigent strategic diplomatic maneuvering.
He also said Bangladesh agreed in principle to UN-proposed aid corridor to Rakhine State for humanitarian reason, on some conditions.
"If these conditions are met, the corridor can be okayed," he told the press.
Bangladesh has long been bearing the burdens of sheltering around 1.3 million Rohingya refugees flushed out of their homes in Rakhine-and a last-ditch bid for their repatriation depends on a situation congenial over there.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com