What were discussed among Prime Minister and Indian High Commissioner?
The Indian High Commissioner met with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Collected photo.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held a courtesy meeting with Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka, Dinesh Trivedi. The meeting took place this morning (Monday) at the Secretariat. The information was shared via a verified Facebook post from the Prime Minister's Office around 12:15 PM.
After the meeting, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said they hope that the Indian government has understood Bangladesh's perspective and that India will not do anything to undermine any pillars of the Bangladeshi state.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Prime Minister's Press Wing said that important bilateral issues between Bangladesh and India were discussed during the meeting. Bangladesh hopes that India will expedite the extradition process of Sheikh Hasina.
On the other hand, responding to reporters' questions after the meeting, the Indian High Commissioner said he had a very good discussion with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. They are now looking towards the future.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and the Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Humayun Kabir were present at the meeting at the Secretariat.
Notably, this first meeting between Tarique Rahman and Dinesh Trivedi took place just days after the Bangladesh government expressed strong displeasure over Sheikh Hasina's virtual press conference at New Delhi.
What the Foreign Minister said about the meeting
The Bangladesh government had sent a statement to the media expressing anger over Sheikh Hasina's virtual press conference in Delhi on August 5. After today's courtesy meeting between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the Indian High Commissioner, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said in a press briefing: "A state has three pillars – the Executive, the Judiciary, and the Legislature. The convicted Hasina's place is in the Judiciary. A competent court in Bangladesh has sentenced her. A convicted accused is taken into custody, and if they have any statement or defense, they should make it in court. What Hasina did on the 5th was to thumb her nose at Bangladesh's Judiciary – a pillar of the state. The Indian government allowed her to do that. We want the entire world to be respectful towards the full structure of our state. We hope the Indian government will understand this matter."
The Foreign Minister said, "We hope they will not undermine any part of our state. From my discussions with them, I am somewhat reassured that this will not be repeated."
In response to a question, he said, "The Prime Minister was not invited to BRICS. He was invited as the Chairperson of BIMSTEC. You need to understand this distinction. Earlier, the Indian Prime Minister had sent a letter on the day the government was formed, in which he extended an invitation. We will consider that."
When asked whether any discussions over bilateral visit took place today, he replied that they have not made any decisions on these matter yet.
When asked whether Indian has understood the concerns of Bangladesh government, he (the Foreign Minister) said, "Yesterday (Sunday) he (the Indian High Commissioner) clearly said that he has understood. I had a discussion with him, and there he said that he has understood the perspective from which we are speaking."
What the Indian High Commissioner said
While leaving the Secretariat after the meeting, Dinesh Trivedi spoke to waiting journalists and described the meeting as a "meeting between the people's representative with the people's representative."
He said, "I felt very good. I am not a diplomat. This was a meeting between the people's representative with the people's representative. I am very pleased that I met with him. The moment we met, it didn't feel like I was meeting him for the first time. Very good. Very humble."
The Indian High Commissioner said, "Our history cannot be changed. Neighbours cannot be changed. I always say that we do not just share a border; we share dreams. It feels like the coming days will be good. Issues need to be sorted out from both sides. I am very confident. I felt very good meeting with him."
However, when asked by journalists whether any specific issues were discussed during the meeting, he did not give a direct answer. The Indian High Commissioner only said, "There is no such issue that we cannot sit down and resolve. This is a win-win situation. There is vibrant democracy in both countries. I have been here for two months. I have received so much respect, affection, and love – I have felt good."
