Dhaka sought India鈥檚 extradition of the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina at a meeting between the chief adviser to Bangladesh鈥檚 interim government Muhammad Yunus and India鈥檚 prime minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok on Friday.
The leaders officially met for the first time after the political changeover in Bangladesh that toppled the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime in a mass uprising on August 5, 2024 when Hasina fled to India.
Besides enquiring about the status of Dhaka鈥檚 request for Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 extradition, Yunus has also called for discussions for the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty expiring in 2026 and the signing of the Teesta water sharing agreement, a release issued by the chief adviser鈥檚 press wing from Bangkok on Friday said.
Yunus has also raised the issue of border killing, noting that working together to end the killing would not only save many families but also help to build trust and confidence and strengthen the bilateral relationship.
Their 40-minute exchange was candid, productive and constructive,聽 the release says.
鈥楤angladesh deeply values its relationship with India,鈥� Yunus said, adding that the deep-rooted friendship between the two countries was founded on intertwined histories, geographical proximity and cultural affinity.
鈥榃e remain thankful for the unwavering support of the government and people of India during our most challenging time in 1971,鈥� he has said.
Although this was the first one-on-one meeting between the heads of the governments, Yunus has emphasised that the countries had remained engaged in numerous bilateral interactions over eight months.
Addressing the challenges facing the bilateral relationship, the chief adviser said, 鈥榃e seek to work together with you to set the relationship on the right track for the benefits of both the peoples.鈥�
Yunus, who has assumed the chair of BIMSTEC, has sought the support of India for a free trade agreement among the seven members of the group.
Narendra Modi congratulated Yunus on his assuming the BIMSTEC chairmanship.
India鈥檚 prime minister has said that New Delhi has always attached the 鈥榟ighest priority鈥� to its relationship with Dhaka.
The history of the two neighbours is intricately linked and it goes back to the birth of Bangladesh, he has said.
Modi has recalled the global stature of Yunus, noting that India would always support a progressive, democratic and inclusive Bangladesh.
India does not support any particular party in Bangladesh, he has said. 鈥極ur relationship is people-to-people.鈥�
Yunus has noted that Sheikh Hasina has made inflammatory remarks to various media outlets and tried to destabilise the situation in Bangladesh, which seems to be an abuse of the hospitality that India has extended to her, the release says.
鈥榃e request that the government of India should take appropriate measures to restrain her from continuing to make such incendiary statements while she remains in your country,鈥� Yunus is quoted to have said.
Yunus has also referred to the OHCHR鈥檚 fact-finding report, which confirms serious rights violations and abuses committed by security forces and armed Awami League activists in July 15鈥揂ugust 5, 2024.
He has said that the report estimates that 1,400 protest-related deaths, with approximately 13 per cent of the victims being children.
He has stated the report finds reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity, such as murder, torture and other inhumane acts, were committed that time.
The UN report notes that Sheikh Hasina ordered security forces to kill protesters and specifically instructed them to 鈥榓rrest the ringleaders, kill them and hide their bodies.鈥�
India鈥檚 prime minister has blamed social media for the tension around Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 remarks.
As for border killings, Modi has claimed that Indian guards open fire only in self-defence and the fatalities occur in the Indian territory, the release added.
The two leaders stressed the need for working together on the issue.
Yunus expressed optimism about Bangladesh鈥檚 chairmanship of BIMSTEC.
Bangladesh aims to increase the visibility of BIMSTEC and hopes that the organisation would emerge as an effective and vibrant entity capable of fulfilling aspirations of the people in the region by giving them an efficient route for exporting and importing goods around the world, he has said.
In reply to Modi鈥檚 concern about the condition of religious minorities in Bangladesh, Yunus has said that the reports on attacks on the minorities were hugely inflated and 鈥榯he bulk of them were fake.鈥�
He has asked the Indian leader to send reporters to Bangladesh to investigate the alleged attacks.
Yunus has said that he instituted an effective system for monitoring every incident of religious and gender violence and his government was taking serious action to stop the recurrence of such incidents.
Both the leaders extended their best wishes for continued peace, progress and prosperity for people of both countries.
Bangladesh鈥檚 foreign affairs adviser Md Tauhid Hossain, high representative of chief adviser Khalilur Rahman, India鈥檚 external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and national security adviser Ajit Doval also attended.
India鈥檚 external affairs ministry, meanwhile in a release, has said that Narendra Modi iterated India鈥檚 support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. Modi has highlighted cooperation between the two countries has brought tangible benefits to people of both the countries.
He underlined India鈥檚 desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh based on pragmatism, noting that the rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided.
鈥極n the border, strict enforcement of the law and the prevention of illegal border crossings, especially at night, are necessary for maintaining border security and stability. Bilateral mechanism could meet as appropriate to review and take forward our ties,鈥� the release says.
Modi has underlined India鈥檚 concerns related to the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh, including the Hindus, and hoped that the Bangladesh government would ensure their security, including by thoroughly investigating the cases of atrocities committed against them, India鈥檚 release says.
The relation between the two neighbours has been strained after the fall of Sheikh Hasina, staying in India since August 5, 2024.
Dhaka has later sought her extradition for trial, but without any response till date.