Dhaka: Bangladesh’s interim government is working to ease strained relations with India while pursuing stronger economic cooperation by keeping trade decisions separate from political rhetoric, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said on Tuesday.
He said Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has taken steps to improve ties with New Delhi and has been engaging with various stakeholders on the issue. Ahmed was speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase at his office.
“The chief adviser is working to improve diplomatic relations with India, and he himself has also been speaking to various stakeholders on the matter,” Ahmed said. Asked whether Yunus had directly spoken to India, he replied that the chief adviser had not, but had interacted with those connected to the issue.
Stressing that economic decisions should remain independent of political considerations, Ahmed said Bangladesh’s trade policy was guided by cost and national interest. “If importing rice from India is cheaper than sourcing it from Vietnam or elsewhere, then it makes economic sense to buy the staple from India,” he said.
The economist also expressed confidence that bilateral relations would not deteriorate further. He said Bangladesh on Tuesday approved a proposal to import 50,000 tonnes of rice from India, describing the move as a step towards maintaining good relations.
According to Ahmed, importing rice from India would be economically beneficial, as sourcing the grain from Vietnam — a major alternative supplier — would cost BDT 10 (USD 0.082) more per kilogram.
His remarks came amid assessments by diplomatic analysts that Dhaka–New Delhi relations are currently at their lowest point since Bangladesh’s 1971 independence from Pakistan, citing repeated summoning of envoys in both countries and protests outside Bangladeshi and Indian diplomatic missions in the two capitals and elsewhere.
However, Ahmed rejected the view that relations had reached such a critical stage. “The situation has not reached such a bad stage,” he said, adding that while developments may appear serious from the outside, some statements were difficult to control.
When asked whether “people or external forces” were making anti-India statements, Ahmed said, “We do not want any bitterness between the two nations. If anyone from outside is trying to instigate problems, that is not in the interest of either country.”
He added that such incidents did not reflect the country’s “national expression” and instead were “creating complicated situations for Bangladesh.”
With PTI inputs