Jaishankar Slams Bangladesh’s Interim Leaders for ‘Ridiculous’ Allegations Against India

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has strongly criticized Bangladesh’s interim government leaders for making “absolutely ridiculous” accusations against India. His remarks come just days after he meets with Touhid Hassan, his Bangladeshi counterpart from the caretaker administration, in Oman, amid growing tensions between the two nations.

“If every day, someone in the interim government stands up and blames India for everything… some of those claims, if you look at the reports, are ridiculous. You cannot, on the one hand, say you want good relations with India while waking up every morning and blaming us for everything that goes wrong. They need to make a decision,” Jaishankar stated at a public event in New Delhi.

India’s ‘Special’ Ties with Bangladesh

Jaishankar underscored the deep historical ties between India and Bangladesh, dating back to 1971 when India supported the Mukti Bahini in the liberation of East Pakistan. He urged Bangladesh’s leadership to “make up their minds” about the relationship they seek with India.

The minister pointed out two key issues affecting bilateral relations:

1. Communal Violence Against Minorities
   Jaishankar expressed deep concern over recent attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, particularly Hindus, the country’s largest minority group. “The spate of attacks on minorities is extremely concerning. It is something that impacts our thinking, and we have to speak up about it, which we have done,” he emphasized.

   India has repeatedly raised the issue with Bangladesh, especially after the August 2024 ouster and subsequent escape of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Delhi amid mass protests.

2. Bangladesh’s Political Turmoil
   The second major issue, according to Jaishankar, is Bangladesh’s internal political crisis. He acknowledged that political developments in Dhaka are their matter but stressed that “New Delhi has sent a clear message that we want stability. However, we do not appreciate their constant hostile messaging towards India.”

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has downplayed concerns over minority attacks and instead demanded India extradite Sheikh Hasina to face trial for alleged “mass genocide” during the crackdown on anti-government protests against her “authoritarian” and “India-leaning” administration.

Jaishankar previously met Touhid Hossain, foreign affairs advisor to Bangladesh’s interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2024. This marked the first high-level engagement between the two countries since Hasina’s departure.