Foreign secretary Md Jashim Uddin on Monday said that the government of Bangladesh expected no interference in the country鈥檚 internal matter.
鈥楢s we do not make any comments on the internal matter of other countries we expect same from others,鈥� he said at a press briefing after the Foreign Office Consultation with his Indian counterpart Vikram Misri had concluded in Dhaka city.
Following the consultation meeting, the two foreign secretaries held separate press briefings at the foreign ministry on the day.
Asking New Delhi to take steps against propaganda by a section of Indian media on minority and religious issues and the July-August student-led mass uprising that ousted the Awami League regime, the foreign secretary said that large or small, all communities in Bangladesh were enjoying religious freedom.
Dhaka has also asked Delhi for steps to resolve all outstanding issues, including water sharing of the River Teesta and other international rivers, border killing, tariff and para-tariff.
It sought cooperation from Delhi to import power from Nepal, uninterrupted trade of essentials goods, easing issuance of visa, reduce jail-term of Bangladeshis held in Indian jails and return of captured fishermen from India.
Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri at his separate press briefing, held at about 4:00pm, read out from a statement that said Delhi looked forward to a positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Dhaka.
He also mentioned that they had discussed certain recent developments and conveyed their concerns to each other.
鈥榃e also discussed some regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious and diplomatic properties,鈥� he said.
Stressing the continuation of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two neighbours, Misri said, 鈥業 have underlined today India鈥檚 desire to work closely with the interim Government of Bangladesh authorities.鈥�
This was the first major bilateral meeting between the two next-door neighbours following the regime change and Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 resignation as prime minister and fleeing to India on August 5.
At the Bangladesh foreign secretary鈥檚 press briefing, Md Jashim Uddin, replying to a question whether Dhaka sought Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 repatriation, said that they discussed about the deposed prime minster.
Dhaka wanted India to stop the ousted prime minister from making statements from Delhi, said Md Jashim Uddin, adding that Vikram Misri assured him that Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 presence in New Delhi would not impact bilateral relations.
鈥榃e鈥檒l work with the government of the day,鈥� the Bangladesh foreign secretary quoted his counterpart as saying. Her (Sheikh Hasina鈥檚) presence does not have any bearing on our relations, he quoted Misri as saying.
Md Jashim Uddin, however, iterated at the press briefing that the foreign ministry would seek Hasina鈥檚 repatriation from India if the home ministry asked it to do so.聽聽聽聽聽
The prescheduled Foreign Office Consultation was held at a time when Bangladesh shut its mission at Agartala in India days back on December 3 on security grounds a day after it was vandalised by Indian protesters during a violent demonstration.
Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma was also summoned by the foreign ministry in Dhaka over the 鈥榟einous attack鈥� on its mission in Agartala, capital of the Tripura state.
Answering a question on the attack in Agartala, the Bangladesh foreign secretary said that his counterpart updated him about the stepped-up security measures for Bangladeshi establishments in India.
Jashim Uddin also admitted that the relation between the two neighbours was undergoing some strains after the August changeover, and said that the foreign office consultation was a first major bilateral engagement to restore confidence between the two countries.聽聽
The Indian foreign minister who arrived on the day in the capital on a daylong also called on foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain at his office following the meeting with his counterpart.
He also made a courtesy call with chief adviser Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna at about 5:00pm.
While briefing reporters on Misri鈥檚 courtesy call on the chief adviser, environment, forest and climate change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said that Delhi wanted a bolstered relation with Dhaka.
Dhaka looked forward to Delhi鈥檚 active role to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, said the adviser.
The Bangladesh foreign secretary said that the next foreign office consultation would likely take place in Delhi next year.