The Yunus regime in Bangladesh has released a statement stating that among other issues matters concerning "ousted dictator Sheikh Hasina’s stay in India, regional cooperation and the July-August mass uprising were also discussed”.
It may be mentioned that the ouster of Sheikh Hasina and her fleeing to India was the trigger when tension started brewing between South Asia's two prominent nations.
The Yunus regime was more than unhappy that the former Prime Minister Ms Hasina was given refuge in India.
For India of course, the ouster of a 'friendly Prime Minister' in a Muslim country and later the targeting of Hindu minorities were factors those weighed.
"Sources in Dhaka circles said it had been a major point of discussion there as to whether the interim government would bring up the issue of India providing refuge to Hasina—whose government was widely seen as New Delhi-friendly—and her extradition," reports 'India Today'
When asked about it on December 8, the day before Misri’s engagements, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Yunus, had said in Dhaka - “it was unclear and that extradition was a long process that had to follow legal formalities”.
Mihammad Yunus, in his meeting with Vikram Misri, reportedly brought up the issue of “clearing the clouds” that have cast a shadow over the bilateral relationship.
“Our people are concerned because she (Hasina) is making many statements from there (India). It creates tensions,” Yunus told the Indian foreign secretary.
When Misri brought up the issue of minorities, Yunus said the interim government was committed to protecting every citizen and safeguarding their rights irrespective of their creed, colour ethnicity and gender.
While both the Indian and Bangladesh governments have been deliberating to iron out the strains in relations, it is difficult to gauge if that would calm down a section of citizens on both sides who are training guns at each other, especially through social media.
Misri conveyed New Delhi’s concerns over the security of Hindus and other minorities in the country, which is in the midst of a political upheaval that started with the mass student protests but brought downfall of the Sheikh Hasina regime.
“Today’s discussions have given both of us (India and Bangladesh) the opportunity to take stock of our relations, and I appreciate the opportunity to have had a frank, candid and constructive exchange of views with all my interlocutors,” Misri said in a media briefing after meeting Jashim Uddin.
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