Riva Das Ganguly despite repeated requests for a meeting in the last four months failed to meet Sheikh Hasina
Citing an article from a Bangla daily newspaper— Bhorer Kagoj, India’s english daily, The Hindu on Saturday reported that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina failed to meet Indian High Commissioner, Riva Das Ganguly despite repeated requests for a meeting in the last four months.
“Despite India’s concern, Bangladesh has given the contract of building an airport terminal in Sylhet to a Chinese company. Indian High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das tried for four months to get an appointment with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh but did not get it. Bangladesh has not even sent a note of appreciation to India in response to Indian assistance for the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the newspaper’s editor Shyamal Dutta in an article titled “Naya modh.”
Earlier this week, the premiers of Pakistan and Bangladesh had a telephonic conversation over Kashmir dispute and as per the Associated Press, Imran Khan also invited Sheikh Hasina to Islamabad.
This was the second phone call between the two premiers in a year and was held weeks after Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen hosted Pakistan’s High Commissioner Imran Ahmed Siddiqui in Dhaka.
The Hindu, however, has attributed the weakening of India-Bangladesh ties to National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which aims to give amnesty to minority religious groups from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
The issue has created a wave of concern in Dhaka, as prominent leaders of the ruling BJP spoke about “sending back” undocumented citizens to Bangladesh.
CAA remains a sticking issue for Bangladesh as it is weary of hosting more refugees in addition to the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar currently residing in Chittagong’s Kutupalong, the Hindu reported.
“In recent weeks, media in Dhaka has also been vocal about increased number of casualties along the India-Bangladesh border because of reported firings by the Border Security Force (BSF). Growing differences with India were viewed as opportunity for groups that are aligned with Pakistan and Chinese interests in Dhaka,” The Hindu report read.
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