US Urges Peaceful Resolution Amid Strained India-Bangladesh Relations

The United States has urged India and Bangladesh to resolve their differences through peaceful means. During a daily press briefing on Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, "We want to see all parties resolve their disagreements peacefully." His remarks came in response to a question about the recent visit of India's foreign secretary to Bangladesh.

Earlier this week, foreign secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka and raised New Delhi's concerns regarding the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh.

Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of his visit, Misri said, "I have underlined India's desire to work closely with the interim government of Bangladesh. At the same time, we also had the opportunity to discuss certain recent developments and issues, and I conveyed our concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities."

Misri also highlighted that both sides had taken the opportunity to review bilateral relations, emphasising India's aspiration for a "positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship" with Bangladesh.

He remarked that India views its ties with Bangladesh as a "people-centric and people-oriented relationship" with "the benefit of all the people as its central motivational force."

Relations between India and Bangladesh have been strained since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down amid widespread protests led by student groups in August, followed by the formation of an interim government under Yunus. Hasina sought refuge in India, while Yunus and other leaders of the caretaker government have expressed their intention to seek her extradition.

The power vacuum after Hasina's ousting has been marked by violence, including attacks on Hindus and other minorities, and the torching of the Indian government-run Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka. Protests have also erupted in several Indian states bordering Bangladesh, such as West Bengal and Tripura, following the arrest of Das, who faces sedition charges.

In Tripura's capital, Agartala, the Bangladeshi consulate was stormed last week by a large group of demonstrators who vandalised property and desecrated the Bangladeshi flag.

(With PTI inputs)