India on Monday flagged "regrettable incidents" of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh at a meeting here between the foreign secretaries of the two countries, where Dhaka called it "misleading and false information" and said no country should interfere in its internal affairs.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that he conveyed India's concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities, during his meeting with his counterpart Mohammad Jashim Uddin.
This was the first foreign secretary-level meeting between New Delhi and Dhaka after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, following massive protests against her government.
"We also discussed some regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious, and diplomatic properties," Misri said. "We expect, overall, a constructive approach on all these issues by the Bangladesh authorities, and we look forward to moving the relationship forward in a positive, forward-looking, and constructive direction."
India has repeatedly expressed concern over the targeting of Hindus since the interim government of Muhammad Yunus took charge in early August.
Bangladesh's statement after Monday’s talks, however, focused on “misinformation” in Indian media.
The Bangladesh side would expect Delhi's active cooperation to halt the "negative campaign" in India to build trust between the two countries, Jashim Uddin said.
"We drew their attention and sought appropriate steps regarding dissemination of misleading and false information in Indian media about Bangladesh's July-August revolution and alleged hostile attitude to the minority communities here in the post-revolution," he said.
Jashim Uddin said Dhaka simultaneously strongly stated that followers of all faiths in Bangladesh were performing their rituals freely.
"At the same time, we said no country is expected to interfere in our internal affairs and reminded that Bangladesh refrains from commenting on internal affairs of other countries and they should as well show identical respect for us," he said.
Misri, the first high-level Indian official to visit Bangladesh since the takeover by the interim government, expressed New Delhi's desire for a "positive, constructive and mutually beneficial" relationship with Dhaka.
"Today's discussions have given both of us the opportunity to take stock of our relations and I appreciate the opportunity today to have a frank, candid, and constructive exchange of views with all my interlocutors," he said.
"I emphasized that India desires a positive, constructive, and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh," he said.
"We have always seen in the past and we continue to see in the future this relationship as a people-centric and people-oriented relationship; one that has the benefit of all the people as its central motivational force."
Misri said he underlined India's desire to work closely with the interim government of Bangladesh.
He also met with Interim Government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain.
In the meetings, Misri urged India to support a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh, a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said.
"He reiterated India's willingness to build a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh, based on mutual trust and respect and mutual sensitivity to each other's concerns and interests," it said.
Yunus described the relations between Bangladesh and India as "very solid and close", said a statement issued by the chief adviser's press wing late on Monday after the meeting.
Yunus said deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's comments from India were creating tensions in Bangladesh during the 40-minute meeting with Misri at his official residence.
"Our people are concerned because she is making many statements from there. It creates tensions," the chief adviser's press wing quoted him as saying to the Indian foreign secretary.
Yunus also called for close bilateral cooperation in floods and water management and urged India to join his initiative to revive SAARC.
"We want to build a prosperous new future for all of us," he said. On minorities, the chief adviser said his government was committed to protecting every citizen and safeguarding their rights irrespective of their creed, colour, ethnicity and gender. "We are a family," he said.
Misri said that people are the key stakeholders in India-Bangladesh relations and added that India's development cooperation and multi-faceted engagements with Bangladesh in connectivity, trade, power, energy, and capacity building are all focused on the benefit of the people of Bangladesh.
He said there is no reason why this mutually beneficial cooperation should not continue to deliver in the interest of both our peoples.
"Since the political changes in Bangladesh, in August this year, there has, of course, been contact between our leaders. Our Prime Minister was the first world leader to greet the Chief Adviser on his assumption of office. The two of them had a very cordial telephone conversation., " he said.
The two sides had exhaustive discussions on a range of issues covering political and security matters, border management, trade, commerce and connectivity, cooperation in the water, power, and energy sectors, development cooperation, consular, cultural and people-to-people ties, the MEA said.
They also discussed sub-regional, regional and multilateral issues and agreed to further consultation and cooperation for the promotion of regional integration, including under the BIMSTEC framework.
"Foreign Secretary's visit will help in sustaining bilateral engagement between India and Bangladesh with a view to addressing concerns as well as advancing the substantive issues in the relationship," it said.
Jashim Uddin said "zero killing" on the borders with India was a priority issue and requested the Indian side to take effective steps towards that end.
He said Dhaka expected the settlement of all "unsettled issues" with India. The Bangladesh statement said the issue of common rivers gained more significance in the talks when it emphasized that the Teesta water-sharing deal be inked simultaneously with the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty that expires in 2026.
Bangladesh also asked India to withdraw existing tariff and non-tariff barriers, Jashim Uddin said. "We have sought their assurance of uninterrupted supply of essentials from India," he said.
India and Bangladesh ties were at a point of severe stress after Hasina had to leave the country with the face of a huge anti-government protest in August.
Relations deteriorated further in recent weeks over attacks on Hindus and the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das.
In the last few weeks, incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh, triggered strong concerns in New Delhi.
In September, the foreign affairs adviser, Mohammad Touhid Hossain, met briefly with his counterpart S Jaishankar of India in New York on the sidelines of a UN general assembly meeting.
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