Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said on Tuesday that Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus raised the issue of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s extradition during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangkok, though no final decision has been reached.
When further pressed, the adviser refrained from providing additional details on the issue at this moment.
Briefing reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Touhid said that the further improvement of relations depends on both sides.
"We need to progress the relations together," he said.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, after the bilateral meeting between Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, told reporters in Bangkok that Modi urged that rhetoric which negatively affects the environment should be avoided.
Responding to a question regarding the matter, the adviser said that both sides agreed on this approach, as similar actions were being taken from the Indian side as well.
When asked about the Teesta River Management Project with China, he explained that Bangladesh remains open to both India and China and would focus on protecting its own interests in this regard.
Indian Prime Minister Modi, during his first-ever bilateral meeting with Yunus on the sidelines of the 6th Bimstec Summit, reiterated India’s support for a "democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive, and inclusive" Bangladesh.
Responding to a question, Touhid said that the government is committed to transferring responsibility to an elected political leadership after holding the election.
He also mentioned that Bangladesh’s friends consistently discuss election-related issues.
Modi expressed his belief that all mutual interests between the two countries would continue to be addressed and resolved bilaterally through constructive discussions, in the interest of their longstanding and mutually beneficial bilateral relationship.
The Indian prime minister emphasized India’s belief in a people-centric approach to relationships and highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the two countries that has delivered tangible benefits to people on both sides.
He also reiterated India’s desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh based on pragmatism.
Regarding the issue of Rohingya repatriation, Touhid said that Myanmar agreed that 180,000 Rohingya are fit to return.
However, he clarified that this does not mean the Rohingya people will return immediately, given the current situation in Rakhine state.
The adviser concluded that, by and large, both visits—China and the Bimstec Summit in Bangkok, Thailand—fulfilled Bangladesh's expectations.