Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri Holds Talks With Bangladeshi Counterpart Amid Strained Ties
Vikram Misri's visit marks the first high-level official visit after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took over in Bangladesh.
Vikram Misri, the Foreign Secretary of India, arrived in Dhaka on Monday morning to hold talks with Bangladeshi counterpart Mohammad Jashim Uddin, amid strained ties over alleged atrocities on Hindus and the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu.
Misri’s visit marks the first high-level official visit after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took over in Bangladesh following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government in August.
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The visit becomes more significant in the wake of the recent reports claiming a rise in violence against minorities in Bangladesh and the arrest of spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in Chittagong.
Das, a former ISKCON member and spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sommilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote, was arrested at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on November 25, triggering a countrywide protest demanding his release.
The delegation led by the foreign secretaries of the two countries discussed the overall issues of bilateral relations by participating in the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) mechanism established between the two countries.
Press Secretary to the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s interim government, Shafiqul Alam, said on December 4 that the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries would hold talks on issues of mutual interest.
In September this year, the Foreign Adviser (Minister) of the interim government of Bangladesh Touhid Hossain met the Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
They decided to maintain a “good working relationship" and also decided to hold FOC between India and Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, attacks on minorities continue in Bangladesh. On December 6, another Hindu temple was allegedly set on fire in the outskirts of Dhaka, according to reports.
The Mahabhagya Lakshminarayan Mandir, at Dhor village in north of Dhaka, came under attack late Friday night. Babul Ghosh, supervisor of the temple said that a complaint has been filed against unidentified miscreants for burning down his ancestral temple.
Ghosh said that the attackers poured petrol on the idols while he was not present at the house and ran away on hearing his footsteps. He further alleged that the attackers had some “ulterior motives" other than burning the idols.
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