India calls out Dhaka over Sheikh Hasina’s anti-Yunus comment

New Delhi: India on Friday summoned Bangladesh’s acting high commissioner, day after Dhaka demanded that New Delhi “stop” deposed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from making statements.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Bangladesh’s acting high commissioner Md Nurul Islam was summoned at 5 pm.

“It was conveyed that India desires a positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh, which has been reiterated several times in recent high-level meetings. It is, however, regrettable that regular statements made by Bangladesh authorities continue to portray India negatively, holding us responsible for internal governance issues. These statements by Bangladesh are in fact responsible for the persistent negativity,” the MEA added.

“Comments attributed to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have been made in her individual capacity in which India has no role to play. Conflating this with the Government of India’s position is not going to help add positivity to bilateral relations,” the statement further read.

“While the Government of India will make efforts for a mutually beneficial relationship we expect that Bangladesh will reciprocate similarly without vitiating the atmosphere,” the government added.

According to a Reuters report, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry handed over a protest note to India’s acting high commissioner in Dhaka, conveying “deep concern, disappointment and serious reservation” over her comments, it said on its Facebook page.