No special message from PM, no hidden agenda

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Wednesday said, he is not carrying any special message from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina or there is "no hidden agenda" as he leaves for New Delhi today to hold talks with his Indian counterpart, scheduled for Friday.

He, however, said the Bangladesh side will definitely inform the Indian side if they have queries regarding the next national election.

Talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Masud said the relationship between Bangladesh and India is multifaceted.

Efforts to keep the relationship unhindered and smooth before, during and after the election may come up for discussions, he said.

The foreign secretary said he will brief diplomats from countries that do not have missions in Dhaka about the situation in Bangladesh and the government’s efforts to hold a free and fair election.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Monday said no political issues will be discussed in the foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries.

"I don't think so. Political discussion has already been done. There will be no discussion about politics there," Momen told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when a reporter wanted to know whether politics and the upcoming election will be discussed in the forthcoming meeting.

The foreign minister said it is a routine meeting between the two countries where various issues of mutual interest will be discussed.

"We do FOC (Foreign Office Consultations) with many countries. It is a routine matter," he added.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen is scheduled to hold the regular bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Friday.

This is the second foreign secretary-level meeting between the two countries this year. The first one was held in February in Dhaka.

At the Foreign Office Consultations, the two countries usually discuss all the major issues of mutual interests to promote cooperation encompassing all sectors.

Recently, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the relationship between Bangladesh and India today stands out as a model in terms of shared benefits.

In an interaction in London, he said the two countries have settled the land boundary and maritime border issues.

Jaishankar highlighted connectivity cooperation, energy supply and use of ports and noted that Bangladesh-India ties stand as model ties.