Indian FS likely to hold bilateral talks in Dhaka on 9 Dec

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Wednesday said Bangladesh wants good relations with India on a reciprocal basis, hinting that a foreign secretary-level meeting between the two countries might take place a day ahead of the reported 10 December.

“It is very clear that we want good relations but it should be reciprocal. We need to work to that end,” he told reporters while responding to a question at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Asked about the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), Hossain said it may take place one day ahead of the reported schedule, or it will be held on 10 December in Dhaka.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is likely to be in Dhaka on 9 or 10 December as both Bangladesh and India are preparing for the foreign secretary-level meeting.

Once finalised, this is going to be the first by a senior Indian government official to Bangladesh since the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus, came to power on 8 August, a diplomatic source said on Wednesday.

However, there has been no official announcement yet regarding his visit to hold the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin.

The discussion is likely to cover a range of bilateral issues, including the potential extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India and visa issues.

At the Foreign Ministry's weekly briefing on 21 November, Director General of the ministry’s Public Diplomacy Wing Toufique Hasan confirmed that an inter-ministerial meeting has already taken place to coordinate preparations for the upcoming talks.

“There is a scope for discussion on the matter (extradition of Sheikh Hasina),” Hasan said at a weekly media briefing.

Sheikh Hasina, who fled Dhaka on 5 August and has been residing in India since then, is facing trial in Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal for alleged involvement in mass killings during the July-August uprising.

While the government intends to bring her back, Hasan emphasised that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet received any formal directive to initiate the extradition process.

“We will engage with Delhi and begin the formal process in accordance with the existing extradition treaty once we receive the necessary instructions,” he clarified in response to queries.

Regarding the review of existing agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between the two countries, Hasan said that these fall under the jurisdiction of various ministries in Bangladesh.