DHAKA: India has reiterated its commitment to working with Bangladesh to fulfil “shared aspirations” of the peoples of India and Bangladesh for “peace, security and development” but expressed concerns regarding the safety and security of Indian establishments and minorities in Bangladesh, including its high commission in Dhaka.
Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma flagged these concerns during his introductory meeting with interim govt chief adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday.
Talking to reporters after the courtesy meet, the chief adviser’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, referred to the security worries highlighted by Verma. “You know there are some posts on social media,” Alam said, adding that security measures have already been intensified in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone to address these concerns.
The issue of safety of minorities also came up during the meeting, with Yunus reassuring the Indian high commissioner that the interim administration was committed to protecting all its citizens. “Bangladesh is a big family and they are all brothers and sisters and remain together,” said the chief adviser.
Verma discussed the goal of shared prosperity between the two nations, reaffirming India’s strong belief in a prosperous and stable Bangladesh.
“We strongly believe in a strong and prosperous Bangladesh. We are really looking forward to working together,” press secretary Alam quoted the Indian high commissioner as saying. “It was a very cordial meeting. They (India) want more positive engagements (with Bangladesh),” Alam said, quoting the Indian high commissioner.
The chief adviser also laid emphasis on high-level collaboration on water issues and to activate this in any emergency situation.
India has the largest visa operations in Bangladesh and 16 lakh people visited India last year, according to United News of Bangladesh. Of them, 60% visited for tourism purposes, 30% for medical purposes, and 10% for other purposes, the UNB wire service said.
“A team from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will be visiting Dhaka from August 22 to August 29 for preliminary discussions with the interim govt and other stakeholders,” an advisory from the UN resident coordinator’s office in Bangladesh said.
“It is important to note that this visit is not an investigation, but rather it will focus on discussing the process for investigating human rights violations in light of the recent violence and unrest,” the advisory said. The UN team’s visit is the result of a request from the interim govt. A separate fact-finding team, which will arrive once the modalities have been finalised, will conduct the investigation.
Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma flagged these concerns during his introductory meeting with interim govt chief adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday.
Talking to reporters after the courtesy meet, the chief adviser’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, referred to the security worries highlighted by Verma. “You know there are some posts on social media,” Alam said, adding that security measures have already been intensified in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone to address these concerns.
The issue of safety of minorities also came up during the meeting, with Yunus reassuring the Indian high commissioner that the interim administration was committed to protecting all its citizens. “Bangladesh is a big family and they are all brothers and sisters and remain together,” said the chief adviser.
Verma discussed the goal of shared prosperity between the two nations, reaffirming India’s strong belief in a prosperous and stable Bangladesh.
“We strongly believe in a strong and prosperous Bangladesh. We are really looking forward to working together,” press secretary Alam quoted the Indian high commissioner as saying. “It was a very cordial meeting. They (India) want more positive engagements (with Bangladesh),” Alam said, quoting the Indian high commissioner.
The chief adviser also laid emphasis on high-level collaboration on water issues and to activate this in any emergency situation.
India has the largest visa operations in Bangladesh and 16 lakh people visited India last year, according to United News of Bangladesh. Of them, 60% visited for tourism purposes, 30% for medical purposes, and 10% for other purposes, the UNB wire service said.
“A team from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will be visiting Dhaka from August 22 to August 29 for preliminary discussions with the interim govt and other stakeholders,” an advisory from the UN resident coordinator’s office in Bangladesh said.
“It is important to note that this visit is not an investigation, but rather it will focus on discussing the process for investigating human rights violations in light of the recent violence and unrest,” the advisory said. The UN team’s visit is the result of a request from the interim govt. A separate fact-finding team, which will arrive once the modalities have been finalised, will conduct the investigation.