In a strong statement, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized that he has addressed concerns regarding Bangladesh's hostile behavior and asserted that the neighboring country cannot hold India responsible for all its internal issues.
Speaking at the Delhi University Literature Festival on Saturday, he dismissed certain remarks as "ridiculous."
"If every day someone in the interim govt stands up and blames India for everything, some of those things if you look at the reports, are absolutely ridiculous. You cannot, on the one hand, say I would now like to have good relations with you, but I get up every morning and blame you for everything that goes wrong. It is also a decision that they have to make," Jaishankar said.
"They have to make up their minds on what kind of relationship they want to have with us, going ahead. We have a long history with Bangladesh. We have a very special history with Bangladesh. It goes back to 1971," the EAM added.
The India-Bangladesh relationship has been tense in recent months following the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024 after student-led protests against the country's quota system.
Addressing concerns over attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, Jaishankar stated that such incidents influence perceptions and must be addressed, adding that India has spoken out on the matter.
The minister was speaking with Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India (EAC-PM).
Jaishankar's Take on USAID
Jaishankar stated that the Indian government is "examining" the activities of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). His comments follow last week's announcement by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) regarding the cancellation of a contract over allegations of transferring USD 21 million to India for voter turnout initiatives.
Trump referred to the funding as a "kickback scheme" and claimed that the money was given to his "friend," Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Look, I think some information has been put out there by the Trump administration people, and obviously, that is concerning. It would suggest that there are activities which have a certain objective to push a narrative or a viewpoint.”
“I think as a government, we are looking into it. My sense is that the facts will come out,” said Jaishankar.
The external affairs minister added, “It is not a question of did you deal with USAID or not. USAID was allowed here in good faith. To do good faith activities. Now suggestions are being made out in America that there are activities which are in bad faith.”
Jaishankar Raises Alarm Over Minority Rights in Bangladesh
The Minister highlighted the communal attacks on religious minorities in the neighboring country and discussed their impact on bilateral negotiations.
“There are two aspects to the problem that our bilateral ties are facing – the first being communal attacks on minorities. What is very troubling for India is the spate of attacks on minorities. It obviously is something that impacts our thinking. It is something we have to speak up about, which we have done," Jaishankar said.
He stated that the second factor is their internal politics “which you can agree with or disagree with, but at the end of the day, we are their neighbour, and they have to make up their mind on their outlook towards us".
In a direct message to Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh, Jaishankar stated that the Indian government has communicated to Dhaka its desire to ease tensions. However, he emphasized that New Delhi does not appreciate Bangladesh’s continued hostile rhetoric toward India.
During last week's meeting, Jaishankar also urged his Bangladeshi counterpart, Hossain, to ensure that the country does not "normalize terrorism."
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