Courtesy gesture, not politics

Diplomatic Correspondent :

Foreign Adviser to the Interim Government Md Touhid Hossain on Thursday stated that Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Dhaka for Khaleda Zia’s funeral should not be viewed through a political or bilateral perspective.

He emphasised that it should be regarded as a gesture of courtesy and diplomatic etiquette.
Speaking to journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Touhid Hossain said the visit should not be interpreted in terms of inter-state relations or domestic politics.

He also suggested that whether the visit would help ease existing tensions between Bangladesh and India was a question that could only be answered in the future.
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday to pay last respects to former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also visited Dhaka for the same purpose.

Besides them, several other South Asian representatives attended the programme, including Bhutan’s Foreign Minister DN Dhungyel, Maldives’ minister for higher education, labour and skills development Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed as the special envoy of the Maldivian president, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.

Touhid Hossain said representatives from all South Asian countries were present at the event.
“The Indian external affairs minister also arrived in. His visit was brief, but he attended the entire programme and then left. This is a good gesture, nothing more. It is better not to look for any deeper political meaning,” he said.
In reply to another question, the foreign adviser clarified that there was no one-on-one meeting with Jaishankar.
“We did not have any private conversation, nor was there any opportunity for that. Other foreign guests were present as well, including the Pakistani National Assembly speaker. Jaishankar exchanged greetings with him too. This is courtesy, something everyone follows,” the adviser said.

He added that whatever limited exchange took place was entirely non-political and occurred openly in front of others, leaving no scope for discussion of bilateral issues.
Asked whether Jaishankar’s visit would contribute to easing tensions between the two countries, Touhid replied, “You will have to look for the answer to that in the future.”

The foreign adviser also spoke about Khaleda Zia’s standing beyond Bangladesh. “She had a positive image not only in Bangladesh but also in neighboring countries. People know the position she achieved. Across party lines, she enjoyed acceptability and respect among the people,” he said.

“It is only natural that representatives from different countries would attend and pay their respects after her death and at her funeral. We see it in that light,” he added.

However, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah in a post on X on Wednesday sees the whirlwind four-hour visit of Jaishankar as shared interests driven by pragmatism.
“Bangladesh and India would look forward to script a new chapter in Dhaka-Delhi ties, in shared interests driven by pragmatism and mutual interdependence,” he wrote.