Dhaka: Expressing displeasure over former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's remarks from India, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, who is heading the interim government in Dhaka, said the comments are not good for either of the countries and that Bangladesh's relations with India are "at a low". He also said Hasina should remain silent till Bangladesh requests her extradition to prevent the "discomfort" between the two countries.
In an exclusive interview with news agency PTI, Yunus, 84, said, "If India wants to keep her until the time Bangladesh (government) wants her back, the condition would be that she has to keep quiet." He asserted that while Bangladesh values strong ties with India, New Delhi must move "beyond the narrative that portrays every other political party except Awami League as Islamist and that the country will turn into Afghanistan without Sheikh Hasina".
"No one is comfortable with her stance there in India because we want her back to try her. She is there in India and at times she is talking, which is problematic. Had she been quiet, we would have forgotten it; people would have also forgotten it as she would have been in her own world. But sitting in India, she is speaking and giving instructions. No one likes it,” he said.
Hasina's remarks 'not good for us or India'
Yunus was referring to Hasina's August 13 remarks where she demanded justice for "terror attacks, killings and vandalism" in the turmoil caused by the student-led protests that culminated in her ouster from office on August 5. Stressing that Hasina's remarks were not good either for Bangladesh or India, Yunus said it was an "unfriendly gesture".
“Everyone understands it. We have said quite firmly that she should keep quiet. This is an unfriendly gesture towards us; she has been given shelter there and she is campaigning from there. It is not that she has gone there on a normal course. She has fled following a people’s uprising and public anger,” he said.
“We need to work together to improve this relationship, which is now at a low,” he added, emphasising that India and Bangladesh need to work together to improve their currently strained relationship which is on a downhill. He also said Sheikh Hasina should be brought back to Bangladesh to face justice for the "atrocities" she committed.
He also said certain projects signed between India and Bangladesh need to be looked, echoing the statements made by the leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is poised to take back power after 15 years of Hasina rule. "Everybody is saying that it is needed. We will see what is on paper and, second, what is actually happening on the ground," he told PTI.
Issue of attacks on Hindu minorities is 'exaggerated': Yunis
Referring to the recent incidents of alleged attacks on Hindu minorities in the country and India raising concerns about it, Yunus said this is just an excuse. “The issue of trying to portray the conditions of minorities in such a big way is just an excuse,” he said.
The minority Hindu population has faced vandalism of their businesses and properties, as well as the destruction of Hindu temples, during the student-led violence that erupted following the ouster of Hasina. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly highlighted this issue, saying that 1.4 billion Indians are concerned about the safety of Hindus and minorities in the neighbouring country.
Yunus' remarks came after a high-level diplomatic delegation of Bangladesh may arrive in India next month for the traditional bi-annual border talks with their New Delhi counterparts, marking the first such exchange since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August. These talks will be led by the BSF director general (DG) and the DG of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
What did Sheikh Hasina say?
Ahead of Bangladesh's National Mourning Day on August 15, Hasina released her first statement since her ouster from her country and demanded punishment for those involved in the killings and vandalism across the nation in students' protests. The former Prime Minister condemned the violence in her country and expressed condolences to those who lost their lives in the bloodshed.
"Since July, due to the acts of sabotage, arson, and violence carried out in the name of movement, many innocent lives have been lost. I express my condolences to the students, teachers, police officers, including a pregnant female officer, journalists, cultural workers, working people, leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organizations, pedestrians, and those working in various institutions who have died due to attacks. I pray for the forgiveness of their souls," she said in a statement released by her son.
She said that Bangladesh, which had gained recognition as a developing country across the globe, has now been "reduced to ashes". "This is an extreme dishonour to the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose leadership we gained independence, self-respect, and a free country. This is an insult to the blood of millions of martyrs. I seek justice from the people of the country," it added.
ALSO READ | India proposes border talks with Bangladesh after Hasina's exit, Dhaka officials may visit next month
