As DHAKA awaits Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit from Friday, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s foreign affairs adviser Gowher Rizvi tried to allay New Delhi’s concerns about Beijing, saying his country he does not believe in developing a relationship with China at the expense. of ties with its “most important neighbor” India.
“Our relationship with China is not a zero-sum game. That if we develop a relationship with China, it must be at the expense of India. Absolutely not … our relationship with China is largely limited to investment and development projects … Yet even then we have been very conscientious. We don’t want to create a situation where we have borrowed more than we can repay … We have learned from Sri Lanka, we have learned from Djibouti, ”said Rizvi. The Indian Express.
In this context, he said: “We know how to protect our sovereignty. We became an Independent State through a war of liberation ”.
Over the next two days in Bangladesh, Modi will hold talks with Hasina and participate in the celebrations of the nation’s 50th anniversary and the centenary of the birth of Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman. You will also visit Sheikh Mujib’s Tomb on the outskirts of Dhaka, along with a temple and shrine for the Matua community.
On the eve of the visit, Rizvi spoke on a number of issues that have brought India and Bangladesh closer together, and some that have caused concern.
On the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), which had raised concern in Bangladesh, Rizvi said it is an “internal exercise” in India. “Why should we interfere or raise this in our bilateral relationship? And if even a small percentage of the number claimed turns out to be Bangladeshi, genuinely Bangladeshi, obviously their home is Bangladesh. We will get them back. However, we will only get them back once we are satisfied, as is the normal procedure, ”he said.
However, Rizvi also expressed the hope that India will not take any steps “by force.” “I can’t imagine India doing by force what Myanmar is doing: making people stateless. That is not the way India does things, ”he said.
On the issue of religious extremism and terrorism in the context of the attack on a bakery in Dhaka more than four years ago, Rizvi acknowledged that some Bangladeshis may have been inspired by the Islamic State. “But we never allowed them to infiltrate our society. We were very attentive, “he said.
While acknowledging bilateral cooperation on terrorism, Rizvi also compared the Dhaka incident to the Mumbai terror attack on 11/26. “The way Mumbai shook India, Holey Artisan (bakery) shook us. That form of barbarism, brutality, bloody murder of men, women. This has never happened in Bangladesh, ”he said.
Explained
Setting the tone
On the Rohingya refugees, Rizvi recalled that in 1971, India had opened its borders to Bangladeshis. “India did not know that we would leave India, that the refugees would return in nine months. Our experience has influenced the perspective of our Prime Minister. So when the Rohingya arrived, all the advice he gave him was: keep the borders closed. She allowed them to come, she said, we will share our food, keep them safe, ”he said.
The senior adviser, however, emphasized that “the long-term solution is not in Bangladesh” but “in Myanmar.”
“Myanmar must get its own people back. And we know that Myanmar is not usually willing to reason. They make promises, they sign agreements all the time. And so far, in nearly three years, not a single Rohingya has returned. We appreciate the role of India. Just as we appreciate the role of China. Both countries are persuading Myanmar to accept its obligations. India has helped us, it has supported us with material aid for the Rohingya, ”he said.
Rizvi called the Teesta river water exchange issue “a huge irritant” in bilateral relations, saying: “Many have made Teesta a symbol of the failure or unequal relationship between the two countries.” Bangladesh knows that we have an agreement, a draft agreement, a formula and we hope that India will solve its internal problems regarding West Bengal and sign it. Before it is signed, you know, this remnant will disappear. “
On the issue of border killings, Rizvi said “good fences make good neighbors.”
“Bangladesh has a very special relationship with India. We will be happy if India completes the border fence, because we believe that good fences are good neighbors. It reduces border crossing, all kinds of illegal activities. But at the same time, you have to make a determined effort, one life is too much, ”he said.
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