Dhaka to convey message to New Delhi not to increase discord

Bangladesh foreign Md Touhid Hossain is scheduled to meet Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference, which will be held next week in Muscat, the capital of Oman.

Diplomatic sources indicated on Sunday that Bangladesh may use this meeting to convey a message aimed at preventing further strains in bilateral relations between the two countries.

The 8th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC 2025) is set to take place in Muscat on 16–17 February. Organised by the New Delhi-based research institute India Foundation in collaboration with the Oman's foreign ministry, the conference serves as a key platform for regional dialogue.

Last month, the Indian foreign minister extended an invitation to Bangladesh's foreign adviser to participate in the conference. If the planned meeting between Touhid Hossain and S Jaishankar takes place, it will mark their second round of talks in five months.

Touhid Hossain and S Jaishankar first met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in September last year. The mass uprising of students and the public in Bangladesh led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on 5 August. In this changed context, their discussions in New York focused on advancing bilateral relations on issues of mutual interest.

As a follow-up to the New York talks, Indian foreign secretary Vikram Mishri visited Dhaka last December. During his brief visit, he met with Bangladesh’s foreign secretary Md Jasim Uddin.

During his nearly 12-hour stay, Vikram Misri also paid courtesy calls on Bangladesh's interim government's chief adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, foreign adviser Touhid Hossain, and army chief General Wakar-uz-Zaman. At the time, both countries were engaged in discussions to normalise relations and ease post-August tensions.

Just before Vikram Misri’s visit to Dhaka, the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Agartala, India, was attacked. Supporters of several organisations, including the Hindutva-affiliated Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, carried out the attack, alleging minority oppression in Bangladesh.

Since 5 August, various political groups in India have been spreading propaganda and organising protests at home and abroad, citing alleged minority oppression in Bangladesh. Disinformation and misleading narratives have circulated widely on social media, as well as in mainstream Indian media.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina—who remains in India—has contributed to further straining relations. Although the flow of propaganda from India regarding the minority oppression allegations has diminished, her speeches and statements have added new tensions to bilateral ties.

Bangladesh has not taken Sheikh Hasina’s remarks well. As a result, Bangladesh officially requested India to rein her in. However, India has not responded to this request, and Sheikh Hasina continues to make public statements while staying in India.

Public outrage erupted among students and citizens following the announcement of Sheikh Hasina's speech on 5 February, which was posted on the Facebook page of the banned organisation Chhatra League. That night, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house at Dhanmondi No. 32 was vandalised, set on fire, and later demolished.

The interim government issued a statement on 6 February, addressing the incident. It stated that Sheikh Hasina’s provocative remarks against the July mass uprising—delivered while she was in exile in India—had sparked deep anger among the public, which was visibly expressed. 

The government also emphasised its hope that India would not allow its territory to be used to incite instability in Bangladesh and urged that Sheikh Hasina not be given a platform to speak. The statement further expressed the government’s desire to prevent such incidents from recurring.

In response to Sheikh Hasina’s virtual speech, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry summoned the Indian Acting High Commissioner in Dhaka on 6 February. In a retaliatory move, the Indian Foreign Ministry summoned the Bangladesh Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi on 7 February.

Finally, on Sunday afternoon, Bangladesh Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Rafiqul Alam described India's statement on Bangladesh’s internal affairs as "unwarranted" and "undesirable."

The current tension between these two South Asian neighbours is unprecedented. For the past 15 years, their relationship was largely defined by government-centered closeness. Despite occasional fluctuations over the past three and a half decades, the level of strain witnessed in the past six months is unlike anything seen before.

Against this backdrop, what might the upcoming talks between Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Advisor, Touhid Hossain, and Indian Foreign Minister, S Jaishankar, on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference in Muscat, Oman, look like?

Diplomatic sources indicate that since the interim government took office on 8 August, both countries have expressed a willingness to strengthen ties in every meeting. However, despite these discussions, Bangladesh remains dissatisfied with India's recent actions.

According to diplomatic sources, India has unnecessarily escalated tensions along the border without provocation. Incidents of attacks and vandalism have occurred at Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions in Agartala and Kolkata. 

Furthermore, efforts appear to be underway to create instability in Bangladesh by leveraging Sheikh Hasina. The continuous spread of misinformation about Bangladesh in the Indian media has further fueled Dhaka’s frustration and anger.

Foreign Ministry officials assert that India’s interference in Bangladesh’s internal affairs is unacceptable. At the upcoming meeting in Muscat, Dhaka will demand that such interference cease. 

Additionally, Bangladesh will urge India to prevent fugitive criminals residing in India from orchestrating activities that contribute to instability in Bangladesh.

Officials also emphasised that Bangladesh has always sought to maintain strong ties with India. As such, at the meeting in Muscat, Dhaka will reaffirm its commitment to maintaining positive relations and caution New Delhi against any actions that could further strain ties.

Bangladesh has already issued a formal request to India to take measures against Sheikh Hasina. 

Foreign Ministry officials stated that this message will be reiterated in Muscat, emphasising that her anti-Bangladesh activities in India pose a serious threat to bilateral relations.

Furthermore, Dhaka will call for an end to border killings, insist that both nations adhere to previously agreed-upon border policies, and urge India to refrain from escalating tensions by constructing barbed wire fences along the zero line of the border.