External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar held a series of meetings with his counterparts from the neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference in Muscat, on Sunday.
“Met Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain of the Interim Government of Bangladesh. Conversation was focused on our bilateral relationship, as also on BIMSTEC,” the EAM posted on X after his meeting with Hossain, the Foreign Affairs Advisor to the interim government in Bangladesh led by Muhammad Yunus.
The EAM also held discussions with Nepal Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, Lankan FM Vijitha Herath, Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel and Mauritius FM Dhananjay Ritish Ramful.
The 8th Indian Ocean Conference is being organised by the India Foundation in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman on February 16-17 in Muscat, Oman. The theme for this year of the conference, which serves as a key platform for regional dialogue, is ‘Voyages to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership’.
EAM Jaishankar and Hossain had last met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September, marking the first high-level engagement between India and Bangladesh’s interim government after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August 2024.
Even though India continues to bat for normalisation of relations between the two neighbouring countries, the current regime in Dhaka has faced massive criticism for making groundless accusations and also targeted the Hindu community in Bangladesh since the mass uprising of students and the dramatic fall of Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, last year.
In December, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka on a day-long visit, conveying New Delhi’s concerns, especially those related to the safety and welfare of minorities in Bangladesh, to the top leadership of the interim government.
The 6th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit is scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from April 2-4, later this year.
Bangladesh will take as the next chair of BIMSTEC at the summit.
–IANS
