Bangladesh responds to Jaishankar’s criticism – Bangladesh’s minorities are not India’s concern: Dhaka about Jaishankar’s criticism

Bangladesh has reaffirmed its commitment to maintain strong ties with India based on mutual respect and shared interests, Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain said on Monday. He also said that incidents of violence against minorities in Bangladesh should not be a concern for India. His comments came in response to Minister of External Affairs S JAISHANKAR Recent concerns about attacks against minorities in Bangladesh and accusations that Dhaka was blaming New Delhi for his internal problems.

“Of course, Bangladesh will determine his position. But at the same time, India also needs to decide what kind of relationship he wants with Bangladesh. This is a mutual matter, and there is nothing wrong with affirming that,” Hossain was summoned as saying by the State BSS news agency.

He emphasized Bangladesh’s clear position on his Relationship with Indiastressing the importance of a cooperative approach. “We want a relationship based on mutual understanding, and there is no ambiguity in our position,” Hossain told journalists.

Jaishankar, speaking on Saturday, raised concerns about the recent attacks against minorities in Bangladesh, saying that such incidents “affect India’s thought.”

He also suggested that Dhaka needs to make a clear decision about his ties with New Delhi.

“The series of attacks against minorities in Bangladesh obviously affects our thinking, and it is something we have to talk about, what we have done,” said Jaishankar.

“The second aspect is that they have their own policy, but at the end of the day, we are neighbors. They have to decide what kind of relationship they want to have with us.”

The Minister of External Affairs also argued that Bangladesh cannot affirm that he wants good relations with India, while holding New Delhi for his internal challenges.

“You can’t, on the one hand, say that now I would like to have good relationships with you, but I get up every morning and blame you for everything that goes wrong. It is also a decision they have to make,” he said.

Hossain, however, dismissed concerns about attacks against minorities in Bangladesh as an internal issue, arguing that it should not be a concern for India.

“Bangladesh’s minorities are Bangladesh’s problem, as well as the way India treats his minorities is India’s concern,” he said, as cited by the Dhaka Tribune newspaper.

“Therefore, I think that the policy of non -interference must be followed. We are taking care of the issue of minorities. They are citizens of Bangladesh. They have the same rights as me, and the government will try to guarantee those rights.”

Tensions between India and Bangladesh have increased in recent months after the expulsion of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in August 2024.

Hasina was withdrawn from power after demonstrations led by students of one month against the quota system and fled to India, where she remains. The interim government in Bangladesh, led by main advisor Muhammad Yunus, formally requested its extradition in December 2024.

Jaishankar reiterated that India wants stability in her relations with Bangladesh. “We have made clear our intentions. We would like to see things calm down and the resumption of normal bilateral ties, but we are not happy with the constantly hostile messages that emanate from the other side of the border,” he said.

India has also argued that Bangladesh must do more to protect the well -being of his minority communities, particularly Hindus, and has raised concerns about his safety. Bangladesh, in response, has rejected the claims of directed violence and the Indian media accused of manufacturing such reports.

Hossain also criticized the statements of former Prime Minister Hasina made during his stay in India, saying that his comments were counterproductive for the ties of Dhaka-Delhi. “If we want to improve ties, then a former prime minister who makes several statements while enjoying Indian hospitality only feeds tensions. It is widely recognized that his comments are adding fuel to the fire,” he said.

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