The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday summoned Bangladesh’s Acting High Commissioner to India, Md Nural Islam, expressing concerns over continued negative remarks by Bangladeshi authorities towards India. Bangladesh has formally lodged a “strong protest” with India regarding deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s speech. However, India has replied to the statement and said ‘India has no role in Hasina’s statement.’
MEA issues statement
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, issued a statement, and said, “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. 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 further added, “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. While the Government of India will make efforts for a mutually beneficial relationship, we expect that Bangladesh will reciprocate similarly without vitiating the atmosphere.”
What did Sheikh Hasina said
Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday delivered her address organised by the Awami League’s now disbanded student wing Chhatra League and called upon the countrymen to organise a resistance against the current regime. “They are yet to have the strength to destroy the national flag, the constitution and the independence that we earned at the cost of lives of millions of martyrs with a bulldozer,” Hasina said in an apparent reference to Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus’s incumbent regime, installed by the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement. She added, “They can demolish a building, but not the history … but they must also remember that the history takes its revenge.”
(With inputs from PTI)
