mohammad yunusThe head of Bangladesh’s interim government has said that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political remarks towards India were an “unfriendly gesture”, insisting that she should keep quiet to avoid inconvenience to the two countries. Unless Dhaka requests his extradition,
“If India wants to keep him until Bangladesh (government) calls him back, the condition will be that he will have to keep quiet,” he said.
In an interview PTI At his official residence in Dhaka, Mr Yunus, who was appointed the country’s chief adviser Hasina’s expulsionHe stressed that while Bangladesh values strong ties with India, New Delhi must “move beyond the narrative that portrays every other political party except the Awami League as Islamist and that the country will turn into Afghanistan without Sheikh Hasina.”
“Nobody in India is comfortable with her stance because we want her back to try and test her. She is in India and sometimes speaks, which is problematic. If she had kept quiet, we would have forgotten it; people would have forgotten it because she would be in her own world. But sitting in India, she is speaking and giving instructions. Nobody likes this,” he said.
Mr Yunus was referring to Hasina’s August 13 statement in which she demanded “justice”, saying those involved in the recent “terrorist acts”, killings and vandalism must be investigated, identified and punished.
He said, “This is not good for us or India. There is discomfort about this.”
Hasina resigned as prime minister and left for India after unprecedented anti-government protests that reached a peak on August 5. Her presence in India for nearly four weeks has fueled speculation in Bangladesh.
When asked whether Bangladesh has conveyed its stand to India, Mr Yunus said it has been told verbally and quite firmly that it should keep quiet.
“Everybody understands this. We have strongly said that she should keep quiet. This is unfriendly behaviour towards us; she has been given shelter there and she is campaigning from there. It is not as if she has gone there in a normal way. She has fled after the people’s revolt and public anger,” he said.
Mr Yunus said the interim government was committed to ensuring justice for the people of Bangladesh against the atrocities and to ensure justice it was necessary that he be brought back to the country.
He stressed, “Yes, he should be brought back, otherwise the people of Bangladesh will not be able to live in peace. He should be tried in front of everyone here for the kind of atrocities he has committed.”
Discussing the future of India-Bangladesh relations, Mr. Yunus expressed his desire for good relations with India, but stressed that New Delhi should abandon the notion that only Ms. Hasina’s leadership can ensure the country’s stability.
He said, “The way forward for India is to come out of this narrative. The narrative is that everybody is Islamist, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is Islamist, and everyone else is Islamist and will turn this country into Afghanistan. And Bangladesh is in safe hands under Sheikh Hasina. India is fascinated by this narrative. India has to come out of this narrative. Bangladesh, like any other country, is another neighbour.”
referring to recent events Alleged attacks on Hindu minorities On the growing trend of terrorism in the country and India’s concern over it, Mr Yunus said that this is just an excuse.
“The attempt to portray the situation of minorities in such a negative light is merely an excuse,” he said.
The minority Hindu population has suffered vandalism of their businesses and properties as well as destruction of Hindu temples during the student-led violence that erupted after Ms. Hasina’s ouster.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15, expressed hope that the situation in violence-hit Bangladesh would return to normal soon and said 1.4 billion Indians are concerned about the safety of Hindus and minorities in the neighbouring country.
The 84-year-old Nobel laureate stressed the need to work together to improve the currently strained relations between India and Bangladesh.
When asked about ways to improve India-Bangladesh relations, Yunus said both the countries need to work together and the relations are currently on the decline.
“We need to work together to improve this relationship, which is at a low point right now,” he said.
Speaking about the future of bilateral treaties with India, Mr Yunus said some of the treaties, like transit and the Adani power deal, were seeking reconsideration.
“Everybody is saying it is needed. We will see what is written on paper and secondly, what is actually happening on the ground. I cannot give a categorical answer to this. If there is any need for a review, we will raise questions about it,” he said.
The BNP has said that if it comes to power it will review and re-evaluate the “questionable” Adani power deal signed during the Awami League rule, as it is putting “tremendous pressure” on the people of Bangladesh.
Published – September 05, 2024 12:43 pm IST