Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has strongly rebuked Bangladesh’s interim government for its repeated accusations against India, labeling some of the claims as “absolutely ridiculous.” Jaishankar, speaking at a public event, urged Bangladesh to refrain from making such remarks in the future, emphasizing that good relations cannot be built on unfounded blame.
The minister’s comments come in response to a growing trend in Dhaka, where officials have repeatedly blamed India for a variety of internal issues. Jaishankar criticized this approach, pointing out the contradiction between the desire for friendly relations with India and the constant barrage of blame directed towards the country. He noted that it is impossible for any nation to maintain positive relations while continuously accusing its neighbor of causing problems within its borders.
Jaishankar stated, “If every day someone in the interim government stands up and blames India for everything — some of those things, if you look at the reports, are absolutely ridiculous… You cannot, on the one hand, say that ‘I would now like to have good relations with you’ and on the other, wake up every morning and blame you for everything that goes wrong.” He further added that Bangladesh needs to decide the nature of its relationship with India, emphasizing the longstanding history between the two nations, dating back to the 1971 Liberation War.
India’s concerns about the situation in Bangladesh were also highlighted by Jaishankar, particularly with regard to the rise in communal attacks on minorities. The Indian foreign minister expressed dismay at the increasing violence against minority communities in Bangladesh, stating that such developments have a significant impact on India’s outlook on its neighbor. “What is very troubling for India is the spate of attacks on minorities. It obviously is something that impacts our thinking. It is something we have to speak up about, which we have done,” he said, underscoring that India will continue to voice its concerns.
Jaishankar also acknowledged that Bangladesh’s internal politics are a matter for the country to resolve, but stressed that as a neighbor, India cannot ignore the situation. “They have their domestic politics, which you can agree with or disagree with, but at the end of the day, we are their neighbor, and they have to make up their mind on their outlook towards us,” he stated.
