Don't Want Bitter Ties With Big Neighbour Like India: Bangladesh Leader

Bangladesh's Finance Advisor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed said on Tuesday that the interim government does not want a "bitter relationship with a big neighbour like India", and instead wants to strengthen ties with New Delhi.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting at the Secretariat, Ahmed said, "The current interim government does not want any kind of bitter relationship with a big neighbor like India. Rather, the government's main goal is to further develop bilateral relations and maintain economic stability".

He said that the Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus is personally engaged in efforts to ease tensions and restore normalcy in relations with New Delhi, according to Desh Rupantor, a Bangladesh daily. The government, he stressed, has no intention of allowing ties with India to worsen, noting that cordial relations with a major neighbouring country serve the interest of both sides.

Addressing recent anti-India rhetoric, Ahmed clarified that such remarks are 'purely political' and have no connection with the government. Regardless of the political backdrop, he said, the government aims to preserve constructive relations at the state level.

He said that the trade between the two nations will not be affected by the current political climate and confirmed that a decision to import 50,000 metric tonnes of rice from India has been taken to reinforce economic cooperation.

He further stated that the government would not be drawn into provocations through external attempts to strain relations with India and that the administration is proceeding cautiously while focussing on advancing bilateral ties while safeguarding national interests.

Since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year, Bangladesh has witnessed a surge in anti-India sentiment. 

This period has seen growing closeness between Dhaka's interim government and Pakistan, alongside the rise of Islamic extremists in Bangladesh. 

Speculation that Hadi's murder was linked to a "Greater Bangladesh" map he published days before has further fuelled anti-India rhetoric.

Bangladesh, a nation of 170 million people, has been in turmoil as it gears up for general elections in February, the country's first since the fall of Hasina's autocratic government.