The US called on India and Bangladesh to resolve their differences peacefully. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller made the announcement during Tuesday’s daily press briefing.
“We hope all parties will resolve their differences peacefully,” Mylar said in response to a question about the Indian foreign minister’s recent visit to Bangladesh.
During a visit earlier this week, Foreign Minister Vikram Misri expressed New Delhi’s concerns regarding the safety and security of Bangladesh’s ethnic minorities.
“I have emphasized India’s desire to work closely with the Bangladesh Interim Government. At the same time, we also had the opportunity to discuss certain recent developments and issues, including issues regarding the safety and welfare of minorities. , we have conveyed our concerns,” Misri told reporters in Dhaka at the end of his visit.
He also said both sides used the talks to assess bilateral relations and underlined India’s desire for a “positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship” with Bangladesh.
He said India sees its relationship with Bangladesh as a “people-centric, people-oriented relationship” in which “the interests of all its peoples are the central driving force”.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have been strained since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned in August in the face of widespread protests led by student groups and the subsequent formation of an interim government led by Yunus.
Hasina is seeking asylum in India, and Yunus and other governing body leaders have talked about seeking her extradition.
The power vacuum following Hasina’s ouster was marked by attacks on Hindus and other minorities and the burning and arson of the Indian government-run Indira Gandhi Cultural Center in Dhaka.
Hindu groups have been protesting in several Indian states bordering Bangladesh, including West Bengal and Tripura, over the arrest of Das, who was held on sedition charges.
The Bangladeshi consulate in Agartala, the capital of Tripura state, was attacked last week by a large group of protesters, who destroyed property and desecrated the Bangladeshi flag.
With PTI input
