Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri Arrives In Dhaka Amid Strained India-Bangladesh Ties

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri reached Bangladesh on December 9 for Foreign Office Consultations, including meetings with his counterpart.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will meet his Bangladeshi counterpart.

Source : DD News

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday reached Dhaka for Foreign Office Consultations, marking a continuation of India's structured engagements with Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that the visit will include meetings with Misri's Bangladeshi counterpart Mohammad Jashim Uddin.

"Foreign Secretary is scheduled to visit Bangladesh on the 9th of December and he will meet his counterpart and there will be several other meetings during the visit. Foreign Office consultations led by the Foreign Secretary are structured engagements between India and Bangladesh. We look forward to this meeting," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week. 

The visit comes amidst rising concerns in India over the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former spokesperson of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Das was detained at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on sedition charges for allegedly insulting Bangladesh's national flag during a rally.

Das was denied bail by a Chattogram court and sent to jail, sparking unrest in Bangladesh. Clashes between his supporters and security personnel reportedly led to the death of a lawyer.

India Expressed Concerns Over Hindus' Safety In Bangladesh 

Reacting to the issue, the Ministry of External Affairs earlier said, "We have spoken on this issue earlier. We would like to reiterate our expectation that relevant legal processes underway in Bangladesh are executed in a fair, just and transparent manner, ensuring full respect for the legal rights of concerned individuals".

The ministry also expressed growing concerns over the safety of Hindus and other minorities in the neighbouring country, amidst escalating incidents of violence and desecration of religious sites. "India has consistently and strongly raised with the Bangladesh government the threats and targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities. Our position on the matter is clear – the interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities," Jaiswal had remarked.

"We are concerned at the surge of extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation. These developments cannot be dismissed only as media exaggeration," he said.