Past can't be forgotten, yet dwelling on the past not an option: Dinesh Trivedi

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi has said development work will not be possible by being stuck in the past.

He said the past cannot be forgotten, yet being stuck in the past is not an option.

Dinesh Trivedi made the remarks while speaking to journalists after a meeting with Local Government Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan at the Secretariat on Tuesday.

Replying to a query, the Indian high commissioner said he did not want to talk about internal politics. He said such matters should not be discussed. “Whatever the people of Bangladesh deem best, will be done. The party that won two-thirds of the seats is in power, and they understand the situation of the country better,” he said.

State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam said local elections were discussed during the bilateral meeting. The Indian high commissioner shared his country’s experience of local elections. He has experience with local elections, the state minister said.

The state minister further said local government elections would be held in Bangladesh during the current fiscal year. This time, the election will be quite challenging, he said, as the government has to ensure a free and fair election.

Dinesh Trivedi said their main goal is to maintain direct relations with the people of the two countries. This will always remain. If I am not here, someone else will come. The decision will remain the same, he said.

The Indian high commissioner said, “The decisions we make have an impact on common people. So, our responsibility is to do what is good for common people.”

“As neighbours, our responsibilities increase. We are all equal. No one is big and no one is small,” Dinesh Trivedi added.

Dinesh Trivedi also said he has learned many things during the 30-minute meeting with the local government minister.

Replying to a query during the meeting, Dinesh Trivedi said there would be challenges, but they have to move forward keeping the challenges in mind. He added that free trade was discussed during the bilateral meeting.

Asked whether there had been any discussion about Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to India, Dinesh Trivedi did not comment. At the time, he spoke about the two countries working together.