Amid the ongoing crisis in the country, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday expressed concern over the treatment of Hindus in Bangladesh. This concern was expressed during a statement in Parliament, where Jaishankar described violence against minorities in Bangladesh as a “source of concern”.
Jaishankar, while replying to a question by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha, said, “With regard to the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh, it has been a matter of concern. There have been many incidents of attacks on him. We have attracted their attention with our concern. Recently the Foreign Secretary had visited Dhaka. “This topic came up during their meeting and our hope is that Bangladesh will take steps in its own interest so that its minorities are protected.”
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi asked in Parliament, “We have promised 10 billion US dollars for the development of Bangladesh. “What steps is this government taking to ensure that Hindus are safe and temples are safe in Bangladesh?”
During his visit to Bangladesh, Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistry told reporters in Dhaka, “We also discussed the recent developments and I conveyed my concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities… We also discussed the attacks on cultural and religious properties. Also discussed the regrettable incidents of. I emphasized that India wants positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relations with Bangladesh. “I have today underlined India’s desire to work closely with the Bangladeshi interim government.”
The Foreign Minister also talked about India-Myanmar relations. Responding to MP Owaisi on steps being taken to stop drugs entering India from Myanmar, the External Affairs Minister said, ‘Due to the extremely turbulent circumstances in Myanmar, we have had to review the policy of open governance which has historically been Has been there since.
He added, “We are sensitive to the needs of the border communities, so that is something we are working on and part of the challenge is there is very little government authority on the other side of the border, so what we have to do is to is more. We have to do it ourselves. “But certainly, today there is a much greater presence there to secure our borders, to monitor the movement of people across the border.”
