Unfriendly borders keep MoFA busy

Staff Reporter :

Bangladesh’s foreign ministry is unusually busy, dealing with ongoing tensions with its neighbours, India and Myanmar, due to repeated border killings and other unfriendly actions.

While Bangladesh hopes for peaceful and friendly relations with its neighbours, both countries are showing little diplomatic warmth towards the interim government led by Dr. Mohammad Yunus.

Strained Relations with India
Tensions with India have escalated since the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, following a popular uprising.

Sheikh Hasina and her sister, Sheikh Rehana, fled to India to escape the unrest and now face over 100 cases in Bangladesh, including accusations related to the deaths of hundreds during the July-August protests.

The interim government has expressed its intention to bring Sheikh Hasina back to face trial, though her exact whereabouts remain unconfirmed.

Bangladesh has been trying to maintain positive diplomatic relations with India.

Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has emphasised that relations between the two countries should be based on state-to-state interactions rather than personal alliances with individuals.

Despite these efforts, relations have been strained, particularly due to India’s reluctance to engage deeply with the new administration and the controversial asylum of Sheikh Hasina.

An Indian media outlet reported that India has provided her with travel documents, potentially enabling her to leave for another country, signaling India’s continued support for her.

Moreover, a recent incident involving the theft of a ‘golden crown’ gifted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a temple in Satkhira district during his 2021 visit to Bangladesh has further complicated relations.

The Indian High Commission expressed deep concern over the theft, urging Bangladesh to recover the crown and apprehend the culprits.

Despite these tensions, Bangladesh has continued to call for an end to border killings.

However, Bangladeshi citizens, including minors, have recently been killed by India’s Border Security Forces (BSF), exacerbating the strained relations.

The Bangladesh foreign ministry has lodged protests, but these actions appear to have had little impact on the “trigger-happy” BSF.

Challenges with Myanmar Myanmar, another neighbor, has also been a source of concern for Bangladesh.

On October 9, the Myanmar Navy shot and killed a Bangladeshi fisherman, Usman, 60, while he was fishing in the Bay of Bengal.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a formal protest with Myanmar following the incident, expressing deep concern over the killing and the abduction of 58 Bangladeshi fishermen along with six boats.

The fishermen were eventually released after contact between the Bangladesh Coast Guard and Myanmar authorities.

Bangladesh has reminded Myanmar to respect its territorial integrity and refrain from further provocations.

Despite Bangladesh hosting over a million Rohingya refugees and providing humanitarian aid to Myanmar’s fleeing civilians and military personnel during internal conflicts, Myanmar has shown little effort in resolving key bilateral issues, such as the Rohingya repatriation.

Bangladesh continues to bear the burden of hosting Rohingyas, described by the UN as victims of “textbook ethnic cleansing,” but Myanmar remains inactive in facilitating their return.

Additionally, Myanmar’s internal conflicts have led to repeated violations of Bangladesh’s borders, with bullets, mortar shells, and helicopters from Myanmar entering Bangladeshi territory.

Bangladesh has protested these incursions, but Myanmar has remained largely unresponsive.

The situation in Myanmar has further deteriorated since the 2021 military coup, plunging millions into a humanitarian crisis.

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, recently called on Myanmar’s neighbors to leverage their influence to bring peace to the country.

Despite Bangladesh’s efforts to maintain positive relations with its neighbors, ongoing border tensions, diplomatic challenges, and unfriendly actions from both India and Myanmar continue to complicate the foreign ministry’s work.

The Yunus administration is now seeking international support to resolve these crises, particularly the Rohingya issue, though tangible results remain elusive.