The government on Sunday said that there is no reason to issue any statement in response to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent controversial remarks on Bangladesh, according to foreign secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes.
'I think there is no need to issue any further statement as the MEA (India's Ministry of External Affairs) and the High Commission have issued statements in this regard,' the secretary told reporters after an hour-long meeting with India's High Commissioner Rajeet Mitter at the foreign affairs ministry. 'I have seen the statements of the MEA and the High Commission.'
When approached by New Age to comment on his meeting with the foreign secretary, Rajeet Mitter declined to say anything. 'The secretary will tell you if he wants to.'
When asked whether he had discussed Manmohan's statement with the high commissioner, the foreign secretary said, 'I'll neither confirm nor deny it.'
During an interaction with five print media editors on June 29, Singh was asked by a senior editor to comment on the situation in the neighbourhood of India.
'Well, our neighbourhood worries me a great deal, quite frankly,' replied Singh.
'…with Bangladesh, our relations are quite good. But we must reckon that at least 25 per cent of the population of Bangladesh swears by the Jamiat-ul-Islami (sic) and are very anti-Indian, and are in the clutches, many times, of the ISI…' Singh told the editors.
'So, the political landscape in Bangladesh can change at any time,' added Singh.
Singh later drew flak from both politicians in Bangladesh retired Indian diplomats.
When asked whether he had summoned the Indian high commissioner to the ministry, the secretary replied, 'Who said so?'
When asked about Manmohan's statement, the secretary said, 'It did not come to me.'
When asked whether the government was 'convinced' by the statement of MEA and high commission, he said, 'I 'm not saying this. You check with them (Indian side).'
In a damage control exercise, India's Ministry External Affairs on Saturday said that Singh's remarks about a section of the Bangladeshi people being under the influence of ISI (Pakistan's intelligence agency) were by 'no means intended to be judgemental'.
'Our attention has been drawn to some off-the-record remarks attributed to the prime minister during his interaction with editors in New Delhi. It is clarified in this regard that these attributed remarks were by no means intended to be judgemental,' said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka in a press release on Saturday.
The high commissioner was at the ministry to discuss the details of the three-day official visit of India's external affairs minister, SM Krishna, scheduled to begin on July 6, and the documents scheduled to be signed, said Quayes.
'We have discussed whether we need to make any adjustment in the programme because of the hartal,' he said.
They also discussed Krishna's scheduled calls on President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said.
When asked whether there was any reason to defer Krishna's visit, the secretary said, 'We are on track so far.'
This attempt at clarification by Indian side was necessary for many reasons, not the least of which is that several Indian dignitaries, including Manmohan Singh and Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi, are expected to visit Dhaka by September this year.
Source : New Age
