Bangladesh responds to Jaishankar’s ‘make up your mind’ on ties comment: ‘Our minority issue isn’t India’s concern’

Amid Bangladesh's hostile behaviour, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a strong note, told the eastern neighbour that it must "make up their mind" right now on how it wants to maintain relations with India. He further slammed Dhaka, saying it cannot keep saying “want good ties with India” and at the same time keep blaming New Delhi. Meanwhile, Bangladesh responded, saying, of course, it wants good relations with India, but it should be “mutual”. Here a look at the state of India-Bangladesh ties amid political spat over the minority issue. 

What EAM Jaishankar say on ties with Bangladesh? 

Days after meeting with Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain, EAM Jaishankar said, “If every day someone in the interim government stands up and blames India for everything - some of those things, if you look at the reports, are absolutely ridiculous...You cannot, on the one hand, say that, 'I would now like to have good relations with you', but I wake up every morning and blame you for everything that goes wrong. It is a decision that they must make.”

"They must make up their minds on what kind of relationship they want to have with New Delhi, going forward. We have a long history with Bangladesh. We have a very special history with Bangladesh - one that goes back to 1971," he added.

Jaishankar also said India has "sent a clear message to Bangladesh" - that New Delhi would like things to calm down and does not appreciate Bangladesh's constant hostile messaging.

How Bangladesh responded?

Responding to EAM Jaishankar's remarks on bilateral relations, Md Touhid Hossain was quoted by the state-run BSS news agency as saying, "Of course, Bangladesh will determine its stance. But at the same time, India also needs to decide what kind of relationship it wants with Bangladesh. This is a mutual matter, and there is nothing wrong in stating that.” 

He said that Bangladesh has a clear stance on its relations with India, emphasising the importance of a good working relationship based on mutual respect and shared interests.

“We want a relationship built on mutual understanding, and there is no ambiguity in our position,” he told reporters.

Hossain also criticised ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's statements during her stay in India, saying that her remarks were detrimental to Dhaka-Delhi relations.

“If we want to improve ties, then a former prime minister making various statements while enjoying Indian hospitality only fuels tensions. It is widely recognized that her remarks are adding fuel to the fire,” he asserted.

He also said that Bangladesh’s minority issue cannot be India’s concern.

"Bangladesh’s minorities are Bangladesh's issue, just as how India treats its minorities is India's concern," Hossain was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune newspaper.