Dhaka: Bangladesh today termed recent remarks by New Delhi regarding its internal matters “unwarranted” and amounting to “interference” in another country’s domestic affairs. Foreign ministry spokesperson Mohammad Rafiqul Alam during the ministry’s weekly briefing said Bangladesh took note of comments made by India’s external affairs ministry (MEA) spokesperson’s March 7 comments concerning Bangladesh’s elections, law and order situation, and matters related to minorities.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Alam, who also serves as the ministry’s public diplomacy wing director, said the New Delhi comments were misleading and did not “reflect reality on the ground.” MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal, in his latest briefing, expressed New Delhi’s support for “a stable, peaceful, inclusive, and progressive Bangladesh in which all issues are resolved through democratic means and by holding inclusive and participatory elections.” He also expressed concern about the deteriorating law and order situation, which he claimed was exacerbated by the release of violent extremists sentenced for serious crimes.
The foreign office spokesman emphasized that Bangladesh upholds the principles of respecting every nation’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in internal affairs. Dhaka remains committed to fostering friendly and constructive relations with India based on mutual respect, trust, and understanding. Alam added, “From this perspective, Bangladesh hopes that the relevant authorities of the Indian government will take necessary measures to refrain from making such remarks.”
Alam highlighted ongoing engagements between the two countries, noting that the frontier forces held a four-day Director General-level meeting last month in New Delhi. During this meeting, the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) urged their Indian Border Security Force (BSF) counterparts to take necessary measures to reduce border killings of Bangladeshi citizens to zero. The spokesperson mentioned that several issues were agreed upon, including the construction of barbed wire fences within 150 yards of the border following joint inspections and discussions.
Both sides also agreed to enhance border surveillance to prevent misunderstandings and unpleasant situations arising from illegal border crossings by civilians and security personnel from either side, in violation of international boundary laws.