International Desk

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has said India does not endorse ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s criticism of Bangladesh's interim government describing it a pinprick in India-Bangladesh relationship.

Addressing the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, chaired by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday, Misri reaffirmed India’s focus on strengthening ties with Bangladeshi people rather than aligning with any specific political party or government, reports The Hindu.

Misri said Hasina was using “private communication channels’ to air her views, and India had not provided her with any platform or facility to carry out political activities from its soil.

He underscored India's longstanding policy of non-interference in the internal matters of other countries.

The briefing came against the backdrop of Sheikh Hasina's recent video messages criticising Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus.

Misri told the committee that during his visit to Dhaka earlier this week, he conveyed to the interim government that India’s relation with Bangladesh went beyond “a particular political party” or a particular government and that India prioritised relations with the people of Bangladesh and would engage with the government of the day.

Vikram Misri visited Dhaka on Monday to hold several meetings in Dhaka, including Foreign Office Consultations, aiming to address mutual concerns.

After Foreign Office Consultations with his Bangladesh counterpart, Md Jashim Uddin, and his courtesy meeting with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain he expressed India’s desire to see a "positive, constructive and mutually beneficial" relationship with Bangladesh.

He said there is no reason why this mutually beneficial relationship should not continue to deliver in the interest of people.

During these meetings, Misri highlighted India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh.

The Indian Foreign Secretary emphasized that people are the main stakeholders in India-Bangladesh relations, and noted that India’s development cooperation and multifaceted engagements with Bangladesh, including in the areas of connectivity, trade, power, energy and capacity building, are all geared towards the benefit of the people of Bangladesh.