Staff Reporter :
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Tuesday clarified that only one agreement under the Indian Line of Credit (LoC) has been cancelled so far, rejecting claims made by his colleague Adviser Asif Mahmud on social media.
“Probably, he could have avoided this,” Touhid remarked, referring to the Facebook post shared from a verified account of Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, who had re-shared a circulated list claiming that 10 agreements signed with India during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure had been cancelled, while the rest were under review.
“When this list came out, a member of the Council of Advisers shared it with a comment. But the list is not correct – several of the mentioned agreements do not even exist,” Touhid told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said that while some projects under the LoC are under review, only one – the tugboat purchase agreement from India – had been cancelled earlier through mutual understanding.
Touhid further explained that projects are generally undertaken for mutual benefit, and when such initiatives do not progress as expected or fail to deliver, the government reviews or reconsiders them.
Asked if the episode reflected any lack of coordination among the advisers, Touhid declined to comment. “I don’t want to make any comment,” he said.
Responding to other queries, the foreign adviser said there was no update regarding Bangladesh’s request for the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. “We will inform you if there’s any development,” he added.
On the recent killings of three Bangladeshi nationals in India’s Tripura state, Touhid said Dhaka expects a fair and transparent judicial process. “We hope the Indian authorities will ensure due justice,” he said.
Regarding Bangladesh’s ties with Pakistan, Touhid stated that Dhaka seeks normal and constructive relations with Islamabad and welcomes official visits from the Pakistani side. “Bangladesh wants to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in areas of mutual economic interest, and we are moving forward in that direction,” he added.
