State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir yesterday said Bangladesh wants to “reset” its ties with India after what he described as an “uncomfortable” relationship over 15 years under an “authoritarian, corrupt and exploitative” regime.
“We want to move towards a new relationship, which should be done through bilateral discussions, not through a multilateral forum,” he said while responding to a reporter’s question at the ministry.
“We have to get out of the fascination with India. India is just another country, and Bangladesh wants good bilateral relations with it,” Humaiun said.
About the continued focus on ties with India, he said, “Breakfast in India, lunch in India, dinner in India — then when will you eat your own food?”
He said his earlier remarks specifically referred to India and the need to rebuild bilateral relations through direct bilateral engagement.
“What I said was mainly applicable to India. We want to build a good working bilateral relationship with India,” he said.
Humaiun said Bangladesh’s first engagement with a country with which it wants to develop better relations should ideally be through a bilateral visit rather than a meeting on the sidelines of a multilateral forum.
“That was said only in the case of India. I never said that whenever we attend a multilateral event, we will not meet anyone,” he said.
He clarified, however, that this does not mean Bangladesh will avoid meeting countries on the sidelines of international forums.
Asked about recent incidents along the Bangladesh-India border, the state minister said the government would address such issues through diplomatic channels.
He said Bangladesh would raise its concerns with India at every appropriate level while adhering to international law, border protocols and agreements between the two countries.
Asked about the reported review of 101 MoUs, Humaiun said the agreements were being scrutinised and reviewed through the parliamentary process.
The state minister also said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to leave for New York on September 21 to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and will stay there until September 26.
Tarique is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly, where he will present Bangladesh’s new vision and highlight the country’s democratic transition and aspirations for the future.
“He will share his thoughts and vision for the future of Bangladesh with world leaders,” Humaiun told reporters.
“He will have a very busy schedule in New York,” Kobir said, adding that the prime minister would hold meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Asked whether the UN Refugee Convention would be discussed during the visit, Humaiun said Bangladesh would organise a sideline event focusing on the Rohingya crisis.
“There will be a high-level discussion or meeting on the Rohingya crisis as part of the visit. It is a major priority for us,” he said.
Asked about the possibility of a sideline meeting between Tarique and US President Donald Trump, the state minister said such meetings are often decided at the last moment during major international conferences.
“The primary focus of the prime minister’s visit is to address the UN General Assembly,” he said, adding that details of the sideline meetings would be known in due course.
Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/india-just-another-country-4272321
