External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a significant bilateral meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. This marks the first high-level engagement between India and the interim government of Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus, following the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last month.
The discussions aimed to “strengthen” bilateral ties and address mutual interests. Jaishankar posted on social media platform X, stating, “Had a meeting with Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain of Bangladesh in New York this evening. The conversation focused on our bilateral ties.”
The meeting took place shortly after the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry lodged a “diplomatic protest” with the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. This protest was triggered by comments made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding Bangladeshi nationals during a recent visit to Jharkhand.
In the wake of the protest, it is anticipated that Jaishankar conveyed India’s disappointment over the issue during his discussions with Hossain, which were also attended by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Despite efforts from India to normalize relations following recent tensions, the interim government in Dhaka has faced criticism for its accusations against India, particularly regarding the treatment of the Hindu community.
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Last month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rejected allegations from Bangladesh’s interim government that India was “deliberately” allowing excess water to flow into Bangladesh. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal clarified that recent increases in water flow from the Farakka barrage were a normal seasonal occurrence due to heavy rainfall upstream, asserting that India shares data with Bangladesh’s Joint River Commission as per protocol.
Jaiswal emphasized that the Farakka is a barrage, not a dam, explaining that water levels dictate flow, and the structure is designed to manage water diversion carefully.
Additionally, there had been speculation about a possible meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Mohammad Yunus on the sidelines of the UN Summit of the Future. However, Foreign Secretary Misri confirmed that scheduling conflicts prevented this meeting, stating, “The Prime Minister is leaving in a few minutes from now. The Chief Advisor of Bangladesh is not here yet, so there hasn’t been any possibility of a meeting on this occasion.”
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