MEA summons B'desh Acting High Commissioner, tells India desires positive relationship

A statement released by the MEA in response to media queries, quoted spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal as saying, "The Bangladesh Acting High Commissioner to India, Mr. Md. Nural Islam, was summoned by MEA to the South Block today, February 7, 2025, at 5:00 pm."

https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1887871169992257753

"It was conveyed that India desires a positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh, which has been reiterated several times in recent high-level meetings. It is, however, regrettable that regular statements made by Bangladesh authorities continue to portray India negatively, holding us responsible for internal governance issues. These statements by Bangladesh are in fact responsible for the persistent negativity," the statement read.

Further the MEA said that Bangladesh's act of conflating former Bangladeshi Prime Minister's stay in India to India's stance on Bangladesh will not help anyone.

"Comments attributed to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have been made in her individual capacity in which India has no role to play. Conflating this with the Government of India's position is not going to help add positivity to bilateral relations," the MEA statement read.

The statement added that India hoped that Bangladesh would make efforts to make relations between the countries mutually beneficial.

"While the Government of India will make efforts for a mutually beneficial relationship we expect that Bangladesh will reciprocate similarly without vitiating the atmosphere," the statement read.

Amid reports of vandalisation of the memorial and residence of Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in a media briefing said that Bangladesh must be fully aware that the responsibility to ensure safety of diplomatic buildings lies on them.

"We would also like to point out that the safety of diplomatic premises is the responsibility of the host government, and I have no doubt that the Bangladesh authorities are fully aware of their responsibilities in this regard," he said.

On Thursday, through a protest note, handed over to the Acting High Commissioner of India in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said that it conveyed the deep concern, disappointment and serious reservation of the Government of Bangladesh, as such statements are hurting the sentiments of the people in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh foreign ministry also emphasized that such activities by her, are considered as a hostile act towards Bangladesh and are not conducive to the efforts at establishing a healthy relationship between the two countries, it added.

The Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested the Government of India to immediately take appropriate measures, in the spirit of mutual respect and understanding, to stop her from making such false, fabricated and incendiary statements using social media and other communications while she is in India, the statement said.

Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's residence in Dhaka was vandalised during a live online address of his daughter and deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina. (ANI)