India, let's work together: foreign adviser Touhid writes on Indian Express

Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has urged the Indian government to work together with a view to strengthen bilateral engagement and fulfill common interests.

The adviser made the call through an article published in The Indian Express, where he said he along with Chief Adviser prof Muhammad Yunus are willing to work with due seriousness to build on the positive aspects of the bilateral relationship and pragmatically address areas of tension and misunderstanding.

"Relations between Bangladesh and India have reached a critical juncture following the ouster of the Awami League regime in a student-led mass uprising in July-August 2024. It seems to me that the Indian establishment failed to anticipate the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. It is, nevertheless, necessary to remind ourselves of the common interests and collaborative possibilities between our two nations," Touhid wrote.

Stating that Bangladesh wants a good working relationship with India based on mutual respect, Touhid wrote that Bangladesh hopes and expects its counterparts in India will reciprocate the desire.

"The history of collaboration between our nations goes back to the birth of Bangladesh, and its continuation will be beneficial to the people of both countries," Touhid wrote.

Praising India for technological and economic advancement gained since the last decade of the 20^th century, the adviser pointed towards the remarkable progress made by Bangladesh during the same period.

"Our garments exports are second only to China. Our contribution to UN peacekeeping outnumbers any other country, providing essential services in hotspots throughout the world. Microcredit models developed here by Professor Yunus, Nobel Laureate, have influenced the creation and growth of a global industry, and been adapted on a massive scale in India," the adviser mentioned.

Terming the problematic law and order situation during the political changeover following the July uprising as the reason for violence on minorities, the adviser clarified that the interim government has taken steps against the perpetrators of such crimes since taking office.

"A lot of noise has been created in India about the treatment of Hindus in Bangladesh. Citizens throughout the country also stepped forward to courageously and successfully protect Hindu families and temples. Unfortunately, the Indian media and cyberspace have continued to create negative hype by publishing and repeating grossly exaggerated and often completely false allegations," Touhid writes.

In the article, the foreign adviser said, "We were pleased when an independent survey conducted by Voice of America found that nearly two-thirds of our population believed that the treatment of minorities had improved under the interim government. We seek to be a model for communal harmony for South Asia and beyond. We invite Indian journalists to come and report on what is going on without any restrictions. The Indian public can learn the truth from their unbiased investigations."

In his article, Touhid also criticised inaction by India to revive SAARC.

"The interim government has made sincere attempts to revive SAARC, the regional association that has been defunct for more than a decade. The Indian response so far has not been positive. We don't believe India has anything to fear from this effort. We know it will take a long time to realise the full potential of cooperation among South Asian nations. But a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step. As a first step, can't our leaders simply pose for a photograph together at the next global gathering to signal our long-term commitment to regional collaboration?" writes Touhid.

"Despite challenges, we have seen some hopeful green shoots in the bilateral relationship, such as the recent exchange of fishermen and the signing of a trilateral agreement that will allow Bangladesh to access a small amount of clean hydroelectric energy from Nepal. Let's build on these positive steps to craft a partnership that benefits both of our peoples, the region and the global community. A good start would be stopping the practice of killing unarmed civilians at the border. Our peoples have too much to gain from positive and pragmatic engagement for us not to seize this opportunity," the foreign adviser further wrote in his article.