New Delhi: India, for what is likely the first time, has called on Dhaka to hold “inclusive and participatory elections” to resolve the myriad of issues facing the country. New Delhi is “concerned” about the law and order situation in the South Asian nation.
“We support a stable, peaceful, inclusive and progressive Bangladesh in which all issues are resolved through democratic means and by holding inclusive and participatory elections. We remain concerned about the deteriorating law and order situation, further exacerbated by the release of violent extremists, who were sentenced for serious crimes,” Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said at a regular briefing Friday.
An interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has been in charge of Bangladesh since Hasina’s ouster over the quota for families of veterans from the 1971 Liberation War. Yunus has promised a return to democracy, but there has been no clear timeline for when elections will be held across the country.
The interim government has also indicated that Hasina’s party—the Awami League—may not be allowed to contest the next elections in Bangladesh.
In this context, the NCP has promised to hold Yunus’s interim government accountable. Since the fall of Hasina’s government, the country has seen a number of attacks against minorities, which Yunus and the interim government have claimed is a reason for politics and not their religion.
The Bangladesh Police have verified at least 1,254 incidents of attacks against minorities between 5 August, 2024 and 16 February, 2025. There have been at least 2,374 such incidents reported.
“We have repeatedly underlined that it is the responsibility of the interim government of Bangladesh to protect the Hindus and other minorities, as well as their properties and religious institutions,” said Jaiswal during the press briefing.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs added: “We expect Bangladesh to thoroughly investigate and bring all perpetrators of killings, arson and violence to justice without making such distinctions.”
Ties between India and Bangladesh remain tense, especially as Hasina is perceived to have been close to New Delhi and remains in the city, as exclusively reported by ThePrint earlier. Dhaka has sought Hasina’s extradition, and a diplomatic note was handed over to India in December 2024. The Indian government continues to examine the request but has made no further comment.
Apart from Hasina’s continued stay in New Delhi, there are a number of irritants in ties, including security across the borders. Last month, the border security agencies of the two countries met in New Delhi for extensive discussions on the border.
Despite the difficult political climate, the regular bilateral mechanisms continue to operate. Foreign Secretary of India Vikram Misri travelled to Dhaka in December last year for consultations with his counterpart, Touhid Hossain, on the margins of the Indian Ocean conference in Muscat on 16 February.
Ganges Water Treaty & development aid
India has continued its development cooperation with the government in Dhaka, with meetings on the same held in New Delhi earlier this week. However, the security situation has impacted the pace of the implementation of the projects, explained Jaiswal.
“The official discussions therefore focused on rationalising the project portfolio and executing mutually agreed projects in a time-bound manner. Subject to obtaining the committed support and pending clearances from the Bangladesh side, we plan to take these projects forward,” said Jaiswal.
Further discussions were also held on the Ganges Water Treaty as part of the regular bilateral mechanism. The 86th meeting of the Joint Committee met in Kolkata on 6 March. During the meeting, both sides discussed the technical issues pertaining to the sharing of waters and other areas of mutual interest.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has yet to meet with Yunus. However, a potential bilateral meeting is on the cards, given that both leaders are expected to be in Bangkok on 4 April for the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) summit. For India, BIMSTEC is a key pillar of its regional cooperation. The summit, which was delayed at the end of last year, offers an opportunity for both leaders to hold discussions.
Yunus is set to visit China right before the BIMSTEC summit at the end of this month, according to media reports.
The article appeared in the theprint