Foreign secy Misri in Dhaka: Agenda, India-Bangladesh ties status explained

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is on a one-day visit to Bangladesh, where he is expected to raise India's concerns over attacks on minorities, including Hindus

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrived in Dhaka on Monday on a day-long visit to hold talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart amid strained bilateral ties, marking the first visit by a senior Indian government official to Bangladesh since the interim government came to power on August 8 following the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

 

Misri reached Dhaka on an Indian Air Force jet, with a senior Bangladesh Foreign Ministry official reportedly receiving him at the airport. Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma was also present at the airport.

 

Misri's visit comes just a day after thousands of supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) marched towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, reportedly protesting the breach at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala. It also comes after the reported removal of the security clearance requirement for Pakistani citizens applying for Bangladeshi visas, which could present new security challenges for India's North East. 

 

 

What is the agenda for Indian Foreign Secretary's Bangladesh visit?

 

Misri is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohammad Jashim Uddin and meet the country's de-facto foreign minister, Mohammad Touhid Hossain.

 

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials told news agencies that according to the draft schedule, Misri was scheduled to have a private meeting with Uddin at the State Guest House Padma at 11 am, before joining a formal meeting or foreign office consultation (FOC).

 

He is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call to Bangladesh's interim government head, chief adviser Muhammad Yunus. 

 

Given that Misri's visit comes amid increasing strain in ties over attacks on minorities, including Hindus, in Bangladesh after Hasina's ouster, he is also expected to raise India's concerns over such attacks in Dhaka.

 

The close ties between India and Bangladesh faced significant strain after Hasina was compelled to leave the country amid a massive anti-government protest in August. Nobel Peace laureate Yunus assumed power days after Hasina sought refuge in India. Relations have worsened in recent weeks due to attacks on Hindus and the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das. A series of violent incidents targeting Hindus and other minorities, along with attacks on temples in the neighbouring country over the past few weeks, has raised serious concerns in New Delhi. 

 

"Our position on the matter is very clear -- the interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on November 29.

 

India also expressed hope that the case against Das would be handled in a just, fair and transparent manner.

 

What is on Bangladesh's agenda for Misri's visit?

 

Bangladesh and India will be able to resolve the stalemate in their relationship seen in recent months, the neighbouring country’s foreign affairs adviser Mohammad Touhid Hossain said in Dhaka a day before Misri's visit to Bangladesh.

 

We expect that we will be able to overcome this impasse, Hossain reportedly said, emphasising the importance of mutual communication and engagement to address any such deadlock.

 

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's foreign office spokesperson Mohammad Rafiqul Alam said efforts had been made to include all aspects of the bilateral relationship in the agenda for the FOC with India. He identified trade, border management, connectivity, and water issues as the key areas likely to be discussed. 

 

What is the update on Chinmoy Krishna Das ahead of Misri's visit?

 

A case was lodged on Sunday over a clash between police and followers of Das on the court premises in Chittagong, according to a media report.

 

The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported that the case names the Hindu leader, arrested on a charge of sedition, as the prime accused, along with 164 identified individuals and 400 to 500 unidentified people. The complaint was filed by Enamul Haque, a businessman and activist of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh.

 

The development follows several clashes linked to the imprisonment of Das, the spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sommilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote.

 

The arrest of Das, a former member of ISKCON Bangladesh, in a sedition case on November 25 from Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport triggered demonstrations by supporters of the monk. 

 

An assistant government prosecutor was killed during a protest in Chattogram after the monk was denied bail on November 26.

 

On December 3, a Bangladesh court deferred to January 2 the hearing on the bail petition of Das on a government plea as no lawyer appeared on his behalf.

 

(With agency input)