Touhid to meet Jaishankar in New York

The foreign affairs adviser of Bangladesh's interim government, Touhid Hossain, is set to meet with Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

At a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday (September 21), Touhid Hossain confirmed the likelihood of this meeting while discussing the chief adviser's participation in the UN session. "There is a possibility I will meet Jaishankar. It’s almost certain," he said.

Addressing tensions in the relationship between Bangladesh and India, Touhid acknowledged the strain, saying, "There is a little tension in relations with India, and it must be admitted. To resolve the issue, we shouldn’t deny it. We will definitely try to put that tension behind us and build a working relationship."

He emphasised that this relationship must be grounded in "sovereign power and mutual respect," adding that it is possible to move the relationship forward based on these principles, and that Bangladesh will make efforts to do so.

When asked if the strained relations were the reason a meeting between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not scheduled in New York, Touhid downplayed the idea. "We may not like many things. But I don’t think there’s any reason to be too upset if I don’t like what he says, or if he doesn’t like what I say. Bangladesh and India will always be neighbors; that doesn’t change, no matter what happens."

He further noted that while there have been "unacceptable remarks" from Indian leaders in the past, it’s important not to take them too seriously. "It’s not like they won’t meet. The schedules simply haven’t aligned this time. Bilateral issues must be discussed, and both India and Bangladesh will need that."

While a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not scheduled, Touhid confirmed that a meeting with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will take place in New York. When asked about what would be discussed during that meeting, Touhid replied, "We will return and discuss it later."