Indian envoy’s remark sparks backlash in BD

Remarks made by newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi regarding the close ties between Bangladesh and India have sparked political debate, with several political leaders calling for clarification from the envoy.

Speaking to journalists after entering Bangladesh through the Benapole-Petrapole border on Friday, Trivedi highlighted the strong historical, geographical and cultural links between the two neighbouring countries.

“We have 1.4 billion people, and if you add 200 million, that becomes 1.6 billion. I cannot think of us separately,” he said, adding that the two countries could together become a global force and that they share the “same sky, same air.”

The remarks prompted reactions from a number of political parties, with some expressing concern over the interpretation of the comments and urging the government to seek clarification.

In a post on his verified Facebook page on Saturday, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Shafiqur Rahman said the comments could create confusion if left unaddressed.

“We request our government to address this matter sincerely,” he wrote, emphasising that Bangladesh and India are two independent and sovereign states.

He added that if the remarks were intended in a literal sense, “then it is certainly condemnable” and should be clarified.

Responding to the issue, Mawlana Ahmad Abdul Qayyum, Assistant Secretary General of Islami Andolan Bangladesh and President of its Dhaka South City unit, described the comments as inappropriate and urged the government to take the matter seriously.

Speaking at a party meeting in Jatrabari on Saturday, he said any suggestion relating to the sovereignty of Bangladesh should be addressed with caution. He also called for a formal explanation from the Indian envoy.

Trivedi, a former Indian Railway Minister and former BJP legislator from Barrackpore, was appointed India’s 18th High Commissioner to Bangladesh in April, succeeding career diplomat Pranay Verma.

His appointment marked a departure from New Delhi’s longstanding practice of appointing career Indian Foreign Service officers to the position, making him the first politician to serve as India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The envoy entered Bangladesh on Friday and was received at Benapole by officials from Bangladesh’s Home Ministry, the Indian High Commission and the Benapole Land Port before travelling to Dhaka by road.

As of Saturday evening, the Bangladesh government had not issued any official statement regarding the matter.