Dhaka, Oct 3, : Regarding the shelter of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in the mass uprising of students and the public, Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Dinesh Trivedi has commented that New Delhi had no option but to let her enter India in the then situation.
He said this during the question and answer session of a session of the ‘Bay of Bengal Conference’ organized at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital on Saturday.
Dinesh Trivedi mentioned that India, as a historical and old friend, did exactly what it should have done in the then critical situation. Expressing doubts about how risky the situation could have been if the aircraft carrying Sheikh Hasina had not been allowed to land in India, he said, no one knows what could have happened if permission had not been given.
Explaining the context of Sheikh Hasina’s arrival in India, the Indian High Commissioner said that she was not taken to India by any Indian military or air force, but rather the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself left the country and reached India in a Bangladesh military aircraft.
When asked about the demand for the extradition of the former Prime Minister to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi said that it is completely a judicial and legal process, which is currently going on at its own pace. He said that since the matter involves the courts and specific legal framework, it is not possible to set a specific time frame or advance timeframe for it.
In response to a question about India’s security, Dinesh Trivedi said that Bangladesh is an independent and sovereign country and they understand the issue of their own security better than any other country. There is no reason for anyone to tell Bangladesh what to do. The government and people of Bangladesh have the right to decide for themselves about their own interests and security.
He said that there is no question of Bangladesh interfering in India’s security. India has full confidence in the people of Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh will also understand that the issue of interfering in India’s security will never come up.
Stating that Bangladesh’s relations with India do not depend on Bangladesh’s relations with any other country, he said, no matter what relations Bangladesh maintains with other countries, they have the right to protect the interests of their people. Similarly, India also has the right to protect its own interests. It is important to respect each other’s dignity and honor as a good neighbor.
Stating that India-Bangladesh relations should not be seen as just a transaction-based relationship, Dinesh Trivedi said that the relations between the two countries are much broader than this. There are deep cultural and historical ties with it.
Referring to his coming from West Bengal, he said that as a person from the eastern part of India, he understands the historical and cultural ties existing between Bangladesh and India very well. This cultural bond between the two countries is very strong and fundamental.
He said that the relations between India and Bangladesh are difficult for the outside world to fully understand. On one side is Nazrul Giti, on the other is Rabindra Sangeet. Even Rabindranath Tagore is the composer of the national anthems of both countries. Such relations highlight the unique depth of the ties between the two countries.
Stating that security relations and transactional relations are not the same, Dinesh Trivedi said that the people of Bangladesh are very intelligent and they also understand the importance of India’s security. Therefore, he does not think that there will be any situation in the future where there will be a cause for concern from Bangladesh regarding India’s security.
Regarding the differences between India and Bangladesh, he said that just as problems or differences sometimes arise within a family, there can be some issues between the two countries. If there are no problems, it is not a feature of democracy. There will be differences in democracy. However, the only way to solve these problems is dialogue, discussion, consultation and mutual communication. And the basis of this dialogue is trust.
Dinesh Trivedi said that it is not possible to solve any problem in a relationship by keeping a distance. India-Bangladesh relations are always an ongoing process. He sees the love and mutual sincerity of the people of the two countries. Therefore, he believes that the basic foundation of the relationship between the two countries is unbreakable.
He said this during the question and answer session of a session of the ‘Bay of Bengal Conference’ organized at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital on Saturday.
Dinesh Trivedi mentioned that India, as a historical and old friend, did exactly what it should have done in the then critical situation. Expressing doubts about how risky the situation could have been if the aircraft carrying Sheikh Hasina had not been allowed to land in India, he said, no one knows what could have happened if permission had not been given.
Explaining the context of Sheikh Hasina’s arrival in India, the Indian High Commissioner said that she was not taken to India by any Indian military or air force, but rather the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself left the country and reached India in a Bangladesh military aircraft.
When asked about the demand for the extradition of the former Prime Minister to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi said that it is completely a judicial and legal process, which is currently going on at its own pace. He said that since the matter involves the courts and specific legal framework, it is not possible to set a specific time frame or advance timeframe for it.
In response to a question about India’s security, Dinesh Trivedi said that Bangladesh is an independent and sovereign country and they understand the issue of their own security better than any other country. There is no reason for anyone to tell Bangladesh what to do. The government and people of Bangladesh have the right to decide for themselves about their own interests and security.
He said that there is no question of Bangladesh interfering in India’s security. India has full confidence in the people of Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh will also understand that the issue of interfering in India’s security will never come up.
Stating that Bangladesh’s relations with India do not depend on Bangladesh’s relations with any other country, he said, no matter what relations Bangladesh maintains with other countries, they have the right to protect the interests of their people. Similarly, India also has the right to protect its own interests. It is important to respect each other’s dignity and honor as a good neighbor.
Stating that India-Bangladesh relations should not be seen as just a transaction-based relationship, Dinesh Trivedi said that the relations between the two countries are much broader than this. There are deep cultural and historical ties with it.
Referring to his coming from West Bengal, he said that as a person from the eastern part of India, he understands the historical and cultural ties existing between Bangladesh and India very well. This cultural bond between the two countries is very strong and fundamental.
He said that the relations between India and Bangladesh are difficult for the outside world to fully understand. On one side is Nazrul Giti, on the other is Rabindra Sangeet. Even Rabindranath Tagore is the composer of the national anthems of both countries. Such relations highlight the unique depth of the ties between the two countries.
Stating that security relations and transactional relations are not the same, Dinesh Trivedi said that the people of Bangladesh are very intelligent and they also understand the importance of India’s security. Therefore, he does not think that there will be any situation in the future where there will be a cause for concern from Bangladesh regarding India’s security.
Regarding the differences between India and Bangladesh, he said that just as problems or differences sometimes arise within a family, there can be some issues between the two countries. If there are no problems, it is not a feature of democracy. There will be differences in democracy. However, the only way to solve these problems is dialogue, discussion, consultation and mutual communication. And the basis of this dialogue is trust.
Dinesh Trivedi said that it is not possible to solve any problem in a relationship by keeping a distance. India-Bangladesh relations are always an ongoing process. He sees the love and mutual sincerity of the people of the two countries. Therefore, he believes that the basic foundation of the relationship between the two countries is unbreakable.
