Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh-India relations should move forward on the basis of mutual respect, sovereignty and people-to-people ties, Speaker of the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikrom, said yesterday.
“Relations between Bangladesh and India have always moved forward amid various ups and downs. The historic relationship between the two countries has changed at different times depend-ing on the prevailing circumstances,” he mentioned.
The Speaker made the remarks when Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi paid a courtesy call on him at his office yesterday.
Hafiz Uddin said the Awami League government undermined the democratic rights of the people through staged elections in 2008, 2014, 2018 and 2024.
He said the 2024 student-people mass uprising paved the way for the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh, said a press release of parliament secretariat.
“During Sheikh Hasina’s rule, relations between India and Bangladesh remained centred only on the governments,” the Speaker said.
He said people-to-people relations should form the foundation of Bangladesh-India ties.
He added that the two countries should take the relationship forward on the basis of mutual re-spect and recognition of each other’s independence and sovereignty.
Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi said India is interested in building people-centric rela-tions between the two countries.
He said the current government of India is working to fulfil people’s aspirations by strengthening people-to-people relations.
During the meeting, the Speaker and the High Commissioner exchanged views on parliamentary delegation visits, the Rohingya crisis and their rehabilitation, and exchanges in sports and culture as part of efforts to expand bilateral relations.
The High Commissioner also conveyed an invitation from the Speaker of India’s Lok Sabha to Hafiz Uddin to visit India.
He stressed the importance of exchanging parliamentary delegations between Bangladesh and India.
Representatives of the Indian High Commission, Secretary of the Bangladesh Parliament Secretari-at and relevant officials were present at the meeting.
