Bilateral ties can't be judged by a single issue: Pranay Verma

Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma emphasised that the relationship between Bangladesh and India cannot be evaluated based on any single issue.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday (December 3) after being summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Verma remarked, “We have extensive relations built on mutual interests. It’s not appropriate to judge such a deep partnership by one issue alone. Our ties are interdependent and encompass matters of importance to both nations.”

The High Commissioner had been called in to the Foreign Ministry following the attack on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission premises in Agartala, the capital of India’s Tripura state. He met Acting Foreign Secretary M Riaz Hamidullah during his summon.

Verma noted that recent months have seen positive developments in the bilateral relationship:

“We have achieved significant progress in mutual cooperation over the past two months. Our work with the interim government continues, and we aim to collaborate across various sectors, including the economy, to strengthen this partnership.”

The Agartala incident occurred on Monday (December 2) when supporters of several organisations, including the Hindutva group Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, attacked the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission premises, alleging persecution of minorities in Bangladesh.

In response, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release condemning the attack and expressing deep anger over the violent protests. The statement highlighted Bangladesh’s commitment to protecting its diplomatic missions and called for a thorough investigation into the incident.

Pranay Verma reassured that discussions with Bangladesh would continue to address issues of mutual concern, underscoring the resilience of the relationship between the two countries.