bangladesh-diplomats-show-indifference-during-misri-s-visit

When Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri raised a host of concerns during his two-hour meeting with his counterparts in Bangladesh, his Bangladeshi counterparts showed “lackadaisical attitude”, said sources in the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

 

Responding to one of the specific issues raised by Misri, the arrest and imprisonment of ISKCON Chinmoy Krishna Das, Bangladesh’s foreign secretary Mohammad Jasimuddin had a short reply: “Leave it to us,” the source added.

 

Indian agencies working on the soil of India’s neighbour sent a report to Delhi mentioning Bangladesh’s attitude “not positive” during the first diplomatic engagement between the two countries since the change in Bangladesh’s politics.

 

“Misri raised a host of issues, ranging from India’s concern on atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh to statements of Bangladeshi politicians, but Jasimuddin and other diplomats present in the meeting preferred to be non-respondent. They kept listening to Misri. When the issue of atrocities was raised, one of the Bangladeshi diplomats said it was an internal issue of Bangladesh and how could India intervene,” said the officer posted in Dhaka.

 

The Indian diplomat said that Monday’s meeting was basically a one-way communication. “Bangladesh government officials showed their lackadaisical attitude. When Misri raised India’s concerns, they never assured us that they would look into the issues. Instead, they took a lackadaisical approach,” said another official of the High Commission in Dhaka.   

 

After the meeting in Dhaka, Misri said the attacks on religious properties in Bangladesh were regrettable. 

 

“We discussed recent developments and I conveyed our concerns including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities. We also discussed regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural and religious properties,” he said.

 

Misri also held a meeting with chief advisor of Bangladesh’s interim government Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna. This marks the first high-level diplomatic engagement between the two countries since Yunus-led interim government took power on August 8.