Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has described India’s April withdrawal of Bangladesh’s third-country transhipment facility as a “blessing in disguise”, viewing the move positively.
Speaking to journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, the adviser said: “The revocation of the transhipment facility has, in effect, benefited us."
"It has reduced our dependence on India and our exports have not been adversely affected. On the contrary, an alternative mechanism has emerged—goods are now being dispatched from Chittagong and Sylhet instead of Delhi and the process is functioning smoothly. In that sense, this shift has been advantageous," he explained.
“Why must we always depend on transiting goods through another country? Our products can be sent directly from here and in fact, that is now happening.”
When asked whether India has been systematically withdrawing trade privileges, the adviser responded: “We, too, have withdrawn certain facilities in accordance with our needs; for instance, we halted the import of yarn through land ports, which was necessary for us. As for India, whether their actions stem from necessity, I cannot say.”
Hasina repatriation
Regarding ongoing legal proceedings against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the issue of her return from India, Touhid said: “We have not received any response.”
He added that while a letter had been sent last year requesting her return, no further correspondence followed.
“I can only say that we have not sent another letter since. If necessary, we will do so,” he added.
Border killings
Addressing the issue of cross-border killings, the adviser said that the interim government had initially lodged strong protests, including summoning Indian diplomats and issuing formal protest notes.
In response to why similar actions are not currently observed, he stated: “Such incidents must never become normalized, nor can we afford to show leniency. We continue to protest, and the process remains active. We will protest in strong terms. These incidents will never be accepted.”
