Jaishankar meets Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Advisor in first bilateral talks post-Hasina ouster

The conversation focused on bilateral ties, as per the EAM.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Advisor, Md Touhid Hossain, in New York on Tuesday during his official visit to the United States. This marks the first bilateral meeting between India and Bangladesh following the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Taking to microblogging site X, Jaishankar shared a picture from the meeting and stated, “Had a meeting with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain of Bangladesh in New York this evening. The conversation focused on our bilateral ties.”

Had a meeting with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain of Bangladesh in New York this evening.The conversation focussed on our bilateral ties. pic.twitter.com/UNtNyHGHyQ
Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 24, 2024

The meeting comes amidst rising anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh following Hasina's resignation on August 5, triggered by a mass uprising against government job quotas that escalated into violence. This was the first encounter between Jaishankar and Hossain after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus Khan assumed power, with Yunus taking office on August 8.

Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yunus did not meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly due to conflicting schedules, India’s Foreign Secretary Misri confirmed that PM Modi had to depart before Yunus arrived. Despite this, Yunus reportedly met with several world leaders, including Pakistan's Prime Minister, during the assembly.

On September 21, Hossain had reportedly expressed that while Yunus would not be meeting PM Modi, he aimed to advance the bilateral relationship through discussions with Jaishankar. He acknowledged existing tensions in relations with India but had stressed the need to address and resolve these issues, aiming to foster a more collaborative partnership going forward.