Touhid-Jaishankar talks: emphasis on joint efforts to address 'challenges in relations'

Bangladesh and India have acknowledged challenges in their bilateral relations and emphasised the need for joint efforts to address them, as the two nations navigate diplomatic tensions following the formation of the interim government in Dhaka.

Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain and Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed these issues during a meeting on the sidelines of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference in Oman’s Muscat on Sunday, reports bdnews24.com.

According to a media statement from Bangladesh’s foreign ministry, "both sides recognised the challenges the two neighbours are facing in terms of bilateral relations and discussed the necessity to work together to address those."

The two-day conference, hosted by Oman’s foreign ministry with support from the India Foundation, provided a platform for the discussions between the top diplomats.

The meeting was the first between the two since September 2024, when they held talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York following the fall of the Awami League government.

Jaishankar later posted on his social media platform X about the meeting with Touhid, sharing a photo and saying: "Conversation was focused on our bilateral relationship, as also on BIMSTEC."

STRAINS IN DHAKA-DELHI TIES

The interim government assumed office following massive student-led protests that toppled the Awami League administration on Aug 5.

Party chief Sheikh Hasina fled to India, where she remains, while several senior leaders have been arrested, and many others have gone into hiding.

The interim government has initiated efforts to prosecute Hasina and others at the International Crimes Tribunal, citing the alleged crackdown on protesters under her administration as "genocide”.

Multiple arrest warrants have been issued against her.

On Dec 23, the interim government sent a diplomatic note to India, requesting her repatriation under an extradition treaty.

However, Indian media reports suggested that Delhi was reluctant to comply with the request and might take months to respond.

Since Hasina's departure, tensions between Bangladesh and India have been evident.

The interim government has accused her of attempting to destabilise Bangladesh from Indian soil, while New Delhi has raised concerns over the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has also criticised Indian media for "false and misleading propaganda" regarding the situation in the country.

Diplomatic tensions have also resulted in multiple instances of summoning each other’s envoys over border issues and remarks by Hasina.

MODI-TRUMP TALKS ON BANGLADESH

On Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Donald Trump in Washington, where they discussed global issues, including Bangladesh.

When asked by an Indian journalist about US involvement in Bangladesh's political transition, Trump dismissed the idea, saying the US Deep State had no role in the matter.

Instead, he credited Modi for his long-standing engagement on Bangladesh, describing it as "work that has been going on for hundreds of years."

ONGOING BANGLADESH-INDIA ENGAGEMENTS

The Bangladesh foreign ministry noted that Touhid and Jaishankar reviewed the series of diplomatic engagements between the two nations since their last meeting in September.

These included the Foreign Office Consultations in Dhaka in December and the participation of Bangladesh's Energy Advisor Fouzul Kabir Khan at India Energy Week in New Delhi on Feb 10-11.

They also discussed the upcoming meeting between the director generals of the Border Guard Bangladesh, or BGB, and India’s Border Security Force, or BSF, scheduled for Feb 18-20 in New Delhi.

"Both sides hoped that border-related issues would be discussed and resolved during the meeting," the statement said.

Touhid also highlighted the need to begin discussions on renewing the Ganges Water Treaty and stressed the importance of convening the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, Standing Committee meeting, requesting India’s consideration on the matter.