No discussion on Sheikh Hasina’s return, says Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser after meeting with India’s Jaishankar

In a recent meeting between Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain and India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in Muscat, the issue of returning Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, was not raised. 

Instead, the focus was on improving diplomatic ties between Dhaka and Delhi. Following the meeting, Hossain shared some important details, noting that both sides were optimistic about future relations.

Despite ongoing diplomatic tension, Bangladesh has formally requested India to return Sheikh Hasina, who was overthrown from power and faces serious charges of crimes against humanity.

Bangladesh sent a diplomatic letter to India, citing a prisoner exchange agreement, but there has been no response for over a month.

When questioned about whether the return of Sheikh Hasina was brought up during the meeting, Hossain clarified that it wasn’t a key part of the discussion. 

“There wasn’t any specific discussion on this,” Hossain said. “We talked about everything in general. We are not leaving things unresolved. This is a separate issue because the court has requested her. We made the request. That does not mean we will just sit and wait for this while leaving everything else behind.”

While the Sheikh Hasina matter did not come up, the foreign ministers did discuss how to strengthen diplomatic relations between the two nations. Both countries expressed a desire to overcome existing tensions and face future challenges together. 

Hossain mentioned that “business is picking up well, and it seems like we are back to the previous level.” 

He also acknowledged that although some issues, like visa-related concerns, still remain, both sides agree on the need to resolve them and build a stronger working relationship.

A foreign minister-level meeting is scheduled to take place later this year in Dhaka. During the meeting in Muscat, Jaishankar was invited to attend. 

Hossain added, “We told him that you are expected to visit Dhaka. If you let us know a convenient time, we will make arrangements accordingly. He was positive about it.”

Finally, in response to the suspension of U.S. aid to Bangladesh, Hossain mentioned that, given the current circumstances, not much can be done at the moment without further observations.

The outcome of the meeting signals a potential turning point in the diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and India, with both sides looking to put the past behind them and focus on cooperation in the future.