Sheikh Hasina's stay in India will not affect bilateral ties, says Bangladesh official

Foreign Affairs Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government, Md Touhid Hossain said that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's extended stay in India will not affect bilateral relations, further exalting that Dhaka will always try to maintain good relations with New Delhi.

Hossain stated that there is no reason for relations with a particular country to get affected if someone stays there as "friendship does not exist of the interest is hurt", as per media reports. 

After resigning from the post of Bangladesh's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina had fled to India amid unrest over a controversial quota system in jobs.

Furthermore, Hossain said that Bangladesh and India have interests and they will follow them, further adding that the relationship between the two countries "is not influenced by the presence of one individual in a country" while "India has its interests, and Bangladesh has its interests".

Hossain said they will "always try to maintain good relations" with India.

Earlier, the top adviser had briefed the diplomats stationed in Dhaka, including Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma, on the situation in Bangladesh and sought their support.

"We believe that all our friends and partners in the international community would continue to stand by the interim government and our people as we embark on charting a new future for Bangladesh,” Hossain told the diplomats.

He had accused the Awami League regime of committing gross human rights violations to suppress a popular movement eventually resulting in its ouster. He further said that the interim government was committed to meeting the renewed expectations of the people and expressed confidence that the international community would continue to support the interim government and the people of Bangladesh as they work towards a new future.

Hossain said that the government would remain focused on a smooth transition to “inclusive and pluralistic electoral democracy as soon as possible”.