Dhaka: Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today announced that the interim government has cancelled an agreement with India to purchase tugboats, while several other deals, including the Adani power agreement, are under review for potential revision or cancellation.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Touhid briefed reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stating that the tugboat deal was dismissed after it was deemed non-beneficial for Bangladesh.
Touhid emphasized that the decision to cancel the tugboat procurement was reached through mutual understanding between Dhaka and New Delhi. He further explained that the government is currently assessing the Adani power purchase agreement along with other projects under India’s Line of Credit (LoC) to determine their practicality and benefit for Bangladesh.
When queried about the extradition request for ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Touhid mentioned that there has been ‘no update yet’ from Indian authorities. He also addressed the issue of three Bangladeshi nationals killed in Tripura, noting that India has not responded to Dhaka’s official condemnation and that Bangladesh does not accept the Indian narrative of the incident. He stressed the importance of justice and the expectation that India will act according to the rule of law.
Touhid expressed Bangladesh’s interest in reestablishing normal bilateral relations with Pakistan, especially in light of the forthcoming visit by Pakistan’s Finance Minister to Dhaka. He remarked on the importance of expanding economic cooperation, which had previously been restricted.
On the topic of the UN’s decision to reduce peacekeeping forces, he clarified that the downsizing resulted from budgetary cuts by the United States, dismissing claims that Dhaka was uninformed about the repatriation of Bangladeshi peacekeepers. Touhid assured that efforts are ongoing with the UN to ensure the reduction of Bangladeshi peacekeepers is kept below the proportionate level.