Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today (Nov 30) said India needs to address Bangladesh's long-standing concerns to foster stronger bilateral relations. 

He said; "Bangladesh's previous (ousted) government addressed the concerns of India, but India did not address Bangladesh's concerns." 

The adviser was speaking at a roundtable titled “Bangladesh-India Relations: Expectations, Barriers and Future.”

The South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) and the Department of Political Science and Sociology (PSS) of North South University (NSU) hosted the event at its campus in the capital.
 
Touhid said there has been no progress on crucial issues between Bangladesh and India such as the Teesta water-sharing agreement or the troubling problem of border killings.
 
“Such incidents do not occur along the borders of other countries unless there is a state of war,” Touhid said adding that India must take responsibility for these issues. 

“If individuals commit crimes, they might be prosecuted in court, but shouldn’t be killed,” he added.

Touhid also raised concerns about an aggressive media campaign in India against Bangladesh, especially since August 5, noting that such rhetoric was detrimental to fostering healthy relations between the two nations.

BDST: 1851 HRS, NOV 30, 2024
MN/SMS