Bangladesh Interim Govt Recalls Envoy To India; PM Modi & Muhammad Yunus May Meet In Nov

New Delhi: The interim government in Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus, has asked its envoys to India and four other countries to return to Dhaka immediately.

According to Reuters, the interim government has instructed envoys in Brussels, Canberra, Lisbon, and New Delhi, and its permanent mission to the United Nations in New York is to relinquish their posts and return to Dhaka. The major diplomatic reshuffle follows the recall of Saida Muna Tasneem, Bangladesh’s high commissioner to Britain.

This has come amid reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yunus are likely to meet in November on the sidelines of Bimstec Summit in Thailand. The relationship between the two neighbours has soured following the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

The two countries share a 4,000 km border and maritime boundaries in the Bay of Bengal and the regime change in Bangladesh have had a significant impact on trade relationships among them. 

India was a friend of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s dispensation. After relinquishing power and fleeing the country on August 5, Hasina landed in India, where she still resides. The current dispensation in Bangladesh is unhappy with her presence in India. India, on the other hand, has raised concern over situation of minority Hindus in Bangladesh after ouster of Hasina following the recent student-led movement.

During the recent trip to the US for the UN Summit for the Future, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Adviser to the Bangladesh Interim Government, Mohammad Yunus, avoided a meeting to break the ice. However, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Bangladesh’s Chief Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain met on the sidelines of the UN meet, where Hossain said the violence against minorities shown by the media was exaggerated. He said his country is committed to providing safety and security to all its citizens equally.