AL-linked Delhi event cancellation ‘positive’

Bangladesh has welcomed India’s decision to cancel a Europe-Asia Relations programme in New Delhi that was reportedly scheduled to be attended by several Awami League leaders, describing the move as a “positive, good and expected initiative”.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir made the remarks on Tuesday, September 1, following India’s decision to cancel the programme scheduled for August 29.

“The incident you described is a positive thing. Good initiative… expected initiative. We will not give space in Dhaka to any terrorist fleeing from India. Similarly, we don’t expect any terrorist fleeing from Bangladesh to get space in Delhi or anywhere in India,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Kabir also said any possible visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India would depend on a conducive environment and the availability of both prime ministers.

Asked whether discussions over the proposed visit had stalled, and whether the recent incident had revived them, he said no date had been agreed upon.

“If we had agreed on a date and it was then held up, I would have said the process had stalled. But no date was agreed upon. Discussions were ongoing,” he said.

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia (FCC South Asia), the Hand in Hand Foundation and their organising partners had expressed regret over the cancellation of the Delhi programme.

“Due to unexplained interventions by Delhi Police against the programme, the FCC South Asia has been unable to host the scheduled function,” the organisers said in a media release.

Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi called for the two countries to move forward while taking into account the challenges faced by both sides.

“We have to appreciate Bangladesh’s democratic challenges, and Bangladesh also has to appreciate India’s challenges. Keeping these challenges in mind, we have to move forward,” he told reporters.

He stressed that Bangladesh and India, as neighbouring countries, need to understand and respect each other’s challenges.

“As neighbours, we are equal. Nobody is big, nobody is small,” he said.
Trivedi said the past could not be forgotten, but warned against remaining stuck in it.
“If we get stuck in the past, development works will not happen,” he said.

The high commissioner made the remarks after a courtesy meeting with Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan at the Secretariat. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mir Shahe Alam also attended the meeting.

Trivedi also conveyed his greetings on the BNP’s 48th founding anniversary.
“It’s a Founding Day, very important day. I congratulated him, his party and all,” he said.