Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has said no "travel alert" has been issued regarding visits to India or Pakistan, advising against travelling to these countries unless absolutely necessary.
"Bangladesh has not issued any travel alert yet. However, I believe it would be wise to avoid travelling during this period of conflict unless it is absolutely necessary," Touhid said while speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.
His statement comes as troops from Pakistan and India exchanged fire in disputed Kashmir for a third night in a row, officials said, as relations between the nuclear-armed rivals plunged to their lowest level in years.
India has accused Pakistan of supporting "cross-border terrorism" after gunmen killed 26 people in the worst attack on civilians in contested Muslim-majority Kashmir for a quarter of a century.
Islamabad has denied any involvement, calling attempts to link Pakistan to the attack "frivolous" and vowing to respond to any Indian action.
Arrest of Bangladeshis in India
Asked about reports of Bangladeshi nationals being arrested in India, the adviser said: "So far, we have only seen reports in the newspapers. We have not received any formal letter. Even if we do, we must first verify whether they are indeed Bangladeshi nationals. If they are, we will certainly bring them back.
"However, it must be proven, because there are many Bangla speakers in India. Speaking Bangla alone does not confirm someone’s Bangladeshi identity."
India-Pakistan conflict
Touhid said the India-Pakistan conflict could have some impact on Bangladesh. In that case, Bangladesh would have to find ways to protect its own interests, he added.
"In this modern era, everything affects everyone to some extent. Therefore, I cannot say we will remain completely unaffected. However, their conflict does not directly involve us, as we are not a party to it," he said.
He further mentioned that conflicts tend to impact trade and business. "We are not engaged in any conflict with Pakistan. If we have an interest in importing cotton from them, we will do so. India had long been providing us with transhipment facilities, but they have now withdrawn them. We must find ways to deal with this situation," he said.
Regarding Bangladesh’s stance on the conflict, Touhid said: "Bangladesh’s position is clear — we want peace in South Asia."
"We know that India and Pakistan have long-standing disputes, but we do not want any major conflict to emerge that could endanger the people of this region," he said.
The adviser noted that Bangladesh maintains relations with both India and Pakistan and hopes they will resolve their issues through dialogue.
"We have already seen some countries proposing mediation. Whatever the means, we hope that tensions will de-escalate and peace will prevail, whether through mediation or bilateral discussions," he said.
On the question of Bangladesh playing a mediating role, Touhid said: "I do not believe it is appropriate for us to seek a mediating role at this stage. We would prefer that they resolve their issues on their own. If they specifically seek our assistance in mediation, we may consider it. But we will not take any initiative on our own."
