State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Thursday said Bangladesh wants stronger relations with India but urged New Delhi to make its position clear over the activities of convicted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami League leaders from Indian soil, warning that the issue could affect bilateral ties.
Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the evening, she said Bangladesh had already conveyed its concerns through an official statement and stressed that India now needed to decide what kind of relationship it sought with Bangladesh.
"You have seen our statement. In the statement, we have said and tried to convey as much as a country can in diplomatic language. And before that, we have repeatedly said that India's position should be clear about what kind of relationship it wants with Bangladesh," the state minister said.
Referring to Sheikh Hasina, Shama Obaed said India needed to decide whether it would continue allowing the convicted former prime minister and Awami League leaders to carry out what she described as conspiratorial activities from Indian territory.
"When a convicted criminal sits on Indian soil and says such things, and the Indian government allows it, then, of course, there is concern for Bangladesh and the people of Bangladesh about where our relationship will stand in the future," she said.
"If the autocratic, fascist, convicted Awami League leaders and the head of the Awami League, sitting on Indian soil, continue to carry out such conspiratorial activities, and if the Indian government does not stop it right now, then it will certainly create a cause for concern for the people of Bangladesh," she added.
The state minister said discussions between the two countries would continue while urging India to be more sensitive to the sentiments of the people of Bangladesh.
"India needs to be more sensitive in that area and take a very intelligent decision about what it wants to do in the future," she said.
Despite the concerns, Shama Obaed expressed hope for healthy bilateral ties based on equality and mutual respect.
"India is a democratic country. India itself has to decide what its foreign policy regarding Bangladesh will be. We want good relations, in the interest of the people of both countries. But the relationship has to be based on equality, with mutual respect and dignity. If India understands that, it will be good for everyone," she said.
She emphasized that Bangladesh's relationship with India extends far beyond the current dispute.
"A country has many aspects to its relationship with another country. We need to have a lot of dialogue with them, and we need to hold discussions. We have cooperation on energy, we have a major issue with them over water, and there are issues on the border—these have to be resolved through discussions," she said.
She also said Bangladesh wanted constructive engagement with New Delhi, noting that the two neighbours had a wide range of bilateral issues requiring continued dialogue.
"We want our relations because we have many issues with India, many bilateral issues—water, energy and the border—that need to be resolved through discussion and dialogue," she said.
The state minister accused the Awami League, whose activities are currently banned, of attempting to revive what she described as an old political narrative linking Bangladesh to extremism.
"This theory of militancy is the old dirty politics of the Awami League. They are now trying to do it again on foreign soil. Whether India will allow it or not... it is up to the Indian government to decide," she said, adding that the party was trying to gain international attention.
Rejecting allegations of militancy in Bangladesh, Shama Obaed said the country had an elected government supported by the people and that such claims had no credibility either domestically or internationally.
She also criticized the Awami League's record on democracy and human rights.
"Now, when we hear democracy from the mouth of the Awami League, when we hear human rights from the mouth of the Awami League, it becomes a very ridiculous thing," she said, referring to allegations of enforced disappearances and killings during the party's rule.
Shama Obaed said the people of Bangladesh remained united against any return of what she termed fascism.
Responding to a separate question, the state minister said Bangladesh remained interested in BRICS while noting that any decision on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's participation in a future summit would depend on his schedule.
"Bangladesh is currently chairing BIMSTEC. BRICS is a multilateral organisation in which Bangladesh is definitely interested in participating. Whether the Prime Minister will participate in it or not... that decision will have to be taken by him according to his schedule," she said.
