[🇧🇩] Indo-Bangla Relation: India's Regional Ambition, Geopolitical Reality, and Strategic Options For Bangladesh

[Saif]

Dhaka-Delhi talks: Indian foreign secy to fly in December 9

India yesterday confirmed the visit by its Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Dhaka on December 9 in the first top diplomatic contact with Bangladesh since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister of Bangladesh in August.

www.thedailystar.net

Dhaka-Delhi talks: Indian foreign secy to fly in December 9
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to visit Dhaka amid rising tensions

Photo: Collected

India yesterday confirmed the visit by its Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Dhaka on December 9 in the first top diplomatic contact with Bangladesh since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister of Bangladesh in August.

The meeting also comes at a time when ties between Dhaka and Delhi are under considerable strain over various issues, including allegations of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told the weekly media briefing in New Delhi that the Indian Foreign Secretary will travel to Bangladesh on December 9 for Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) with his counterpart.

During his stay in Dhaka, Misri will hold talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Jasim Uddin besides having several other meetings that have been firmed up, Jaiswal said without divulging if India's top diplomat will call on Yunus.

Asked about the agenda of FOC, Jaiswal said in Dhaka the Indian Foreign Secretary would discuss all issues of mutual interest.

The MEA spokesperson did not specify any particular issue or issues.

When a reporter pointed out that former ISKCON member Chinmoy Krishna Das was not given bail and the previous court hearing was deferred by a month, Jaiswal reiterated that he would get a fair and transparent trial and his legal rights would be respected.

"We want to reiterate our position that his [Das] legal rights will be respected and he will be allowed to exercise those rights and he will be given a fair and transparent trial."

The visit by the Indian foreign secretary was agreed on at a meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 23.

The Jaishankar-Hossain interaction was the first since Hasina stepped down in the face of widespread protests and the caretaker administration led by Yunus came to power on August 8.

The change of guard in Dhaka has sparked diplomatic tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi due to various factors, including the alleged targeting of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and the anger in Dhaka over Hasina's presence in India where she sought shelter after fleeing Bangladesh.

Yunus and other leaders of the interim government have repeatedly demanded Hasina's extradition from India.

Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry also summoned Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma on last Tuesday to protest the security breach at the Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh in Agartala by a large group of Hindu right-wing group protesters on Monday.

The last foreign office consultations, a dialogue mechanism between Bangladesh and India to review the overall bilateral relationship, were held in New Delhi in November 2023.​

 

[Krishna with Flute]

What he's saying was that the Mughal emperors were in large portion of the totality, very liberal. They treated their Hindu subject fairly and with respect.

Akbar especially came up with his own religion, Deen-e-Elahi (which mixed major portion of Hinduism), and antagonized many of his Muslim courtiers just to please his Hindu subjects.

Many of the Mughal Emperors ended up marrying Hindu Rajput princesses and allowed their Rajput wives to carry out Hindu religious traditions in the temples that were built for that purpose. We have all seen Jodha-bai the movie but she was Akbar's principal consort. Visiting her tomb in Agra is definitely on my bucket-list (shown below).

The entire Mughal bloodline (at least a portion of it) was Hindu after a certain point when they started taking Rajput wives. I don't know why there is such animosity against Mughals in today's India. People are not informed anymore, Indians don't read their own history. Mughals had enough Hindu blood.

Hindi (Sanskrit mixed with Urdu) was I believe created during that time period to ease communication with non-Muslim courtiers and subjects, but I could be wrong.

Most Mughal emperors were very good to their non-Muslim subjects - and we all know Aurangzeb was not a saint in that dept. but haathoh ki panch ungli ek nahi hota.

View attachment 11422

Tomb of Jodha Bai (Mariam-uz-Zamani)
View attachment 11423

Akbar has written in his Akbarnama that he butchered 30000 Hindus while attacking Chittoda. When Akbar was like this, there will be no need to talk about others. Why you guys have too much passion of proving Muslims liberals. Mughals reign on India is one of the bloodiest chepter of man kind. Pakistan tries to prove Pakistan as liberal and secular after butchering 3 million Bengalis. They try to show sympathy with Palestinians after zia ul haq butchered 25000 Palestinians, BD is liberal after reducing Hindus to less than 1/4th in 5 decades.

 

[Bilal9]

When a reporter pointed out that former ISKCON member Chinmoy Krishna Das was not given bail and the previous court hearing was deferred by a month, Jaiswal reiterated that he would get a fair and transparent trial and his legal rights would be respected.

"We want to reiterate our position that his [Das] legal rights will be respected and he will be allowed to exercise those rights and he will be given a fair and transparent trial."

We need to have our foreign secretary ask his Indian counterpart, how they will ensure inserting themselves into the Judicial process of a sovereign country other than their own.

ISKCON member (and proven criminal) Chinmoy Krishna Das is a Bangladeshi citizen.

Where India legitimizes their "intervention" is anyone's guess.

These people have some gall.

 

[Saif]

We need to have our foreign secretary ask his Indian counterpart, how they will ensure inserting themselves into the Judicial process of a sovereign country other than their own.

These people have some gall.

Sheikh Hasina in her 16 years of rule in Bangladesh made sure that our foreign policy toe the Indian official line. She has reduced Bangladesh into a vassal state of India. Luckily, the present government is making things right for us and following an independent foreign policy.

 

[Bilal9]

Sheikh Hasina in her 16 years of rule in Bangladesh made sure that our foreign policy toe the Indian official line. She has reduced Bangladesh into a vassal state of India. Luckily, the present government is making things right for us and following an independent foreign policy.

We must drill into the Indian foreign secretary's head about the new reality.

Collectively, the MEA in New Delhi is a daft entity, farsightedness is a rarity in that dept.

 

[Vsdoc]

We must drill into the Indian foreign secretary's head about the new reality.

Collectively, the MEA in New Delhi is a daft entity, farsightedness is a rarity in that dept.

What will soon actually be a rarity will be such official engagements.

Only one thing comes after that.

Heed the implied warning.

 

[Bilal9]

What will soon actually be a rarity will be such official engagements.

Only one thing comes after that.

Heed the implied warning.

What warning ? What will India (BJP) leadership do - other than a lot of barking ?

Every action has an implied cost. Yes - even surgical strikes do.

Just try something. Getting tired of all the barking.