India Keen to Strengthen ‘People-Centric’ Ties with Bangladesh: Jaiswal

India is keen to maintain a stable, positive, and cooperative bilateral relationship with Bangladesh, stated Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs. The spokesperson remarked yesterday during a press briefing on bilateral relations and regional cooperation. He also mentioned that India places importance on a constructive and forward-looking approach, focusing on direct benefits for the people of both nations, through dialogue with high-level representatives from Bangladesh.

‘Our approach toward Bangladesh is to maintain a positive, constructive, and forward-looking engagement with a people-centric focus for mutual prosperity and development,’  said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. ‘During ongoing discussions with Bangladeshi authorities, we are prioritizing pragmatic cooperation and joint economic progress.’ Earlier, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi answered various questions at the ‘Bay of Bengal Conversation’ conference organized by the Center for Governance Studies (CGS) in Dhaka.

At the event, the Indian High Commissioner stated that the Indian armed forces had no role in Sheikh Hasina’s arrival in India, and that the matter had caught Indian authorities by surprise. He further stated that Sheikh Hasina was neither brought to India by the Indian Air Force nor the Indian Army. India was not prepared for the military aircraft when it arrived, he added. Noting that Sheikh Hasina was still the legitimate PM of Bangladesh at that time, he said that as a neighboring country, there were very few options open other than accepting the reality of the situation. He remarked that had permission for the aircraft to land been withheld under those circumstances, the outcome could have been different.