New or old regime, Bangladesh and India must remain very close, says Yunus – News18

Bangladesh’s interim government’s chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, said relations between Dhaka and Delhi should be “very close” despite the country’s recent regime change, saying it was in both countries’ interests.

Yunus, the 84-year-old economist, became the chief adviser on August 8 following the resignation of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled the country on August 5 amid massive student-led protests.

“Relations between the two countries should be very close. There can be no alternative to this. They need it, we need it. It is essential from every angle, be it economy, security or water,” he was quoted as saying by Bengali-language daily Prothom Alo on Tuesday.

When asked for his comment on the recent strain in bilateral relations, Yunus said the recent incidents in Bangladesh may have “disheartened” India and “they are not happy with the changes”. He did not mention the incidents.

“It will be difficult for us to move without each other. It is only natural to have close ties and good relations in every field,” he said.

India has urged Bangladesh’s caretaker government to ensure peaceful religious events for the South Asian country’s Hindu community. More than 600 people, including Hindus, have been killed in violent protests in Bangladesh since the ouster of the Hasina-led government, according to a UN report.

Things will become clear to them when they see that the whole world accepts us, how can they not accept us? he added.

He said that as far as South Asian diplomacy is concerned, his caretaker government attaches great importance to strengthening ties with India and “at the same time strengthening SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).

Yunus said Delhi should build good relations with Bangladesh not because “we are forcing them” but because it is “necessary and in their own interest”.

“Just as we need them for our interest, they need us for theirs. So we have to forget some transitory things… The main thing is to maintain good relations. We have to use everything in our power to move towards this,” he said.

His experiment in banking for poor men earned Bangladesh a reputation as the birthplace of microcredit, but he was at loggerheads for unclear reasons with the Awami League regime.

A few years ago Yunus insisted that Bangladesh should seize the opportunity to “grow with two giants – India and China”.

When asked about his current views on the comment, he said: “Many years ago I said it was a great asset for us.”

“The fact that we are positioned between two major economies is a strength for us, not a weakness. We can learn from both sides. We will have markets in both countries. Both countries will come to us,” said Yunus, known for his close relations with the US and the West.

Yunus said Bangladesh should maintain relations with both countries and “this is an opportunity for us”.

On the issue of SAARC, Yunus said, “I feel this is our future. The European Union can move forward so closely despite such historical divisions, we have no such history of conflict. Why can’t we move forward?” Yunus said he made that appeal to every regional leader he met with during the recent UN General Assembly in New York, and “whoever I met with, they all said, that they want SAARC’.

“The SAARC heads of government held meetings with me (in New York). I have held meetings with everyone except India. Sri Lanka couldn’t come because they just got their president. And I was going to have a date with him,” he said.

He said, “Even just for formalities, the SAARC countries have taken a joint photo, which shows that we are together.”

Asked about the main obstacle to reactivating regional grouping, he said: “It can be resolved.”

“There is a solution to this. We cannot save SAARC but also continue to mature. Not that there should be a definitive solution to the problem. But more or less we can reach a solution so that SAARC can function,” he said.

Yunus said India may stop some things with Pakistan but even then move forward and “that will be a basic policy that I will follow”.

He said Dhaka would strengthen its efforts for ASEAN membership.

“There will be ASEAN on one side, SAARC on the other, with Bangladesh in the middle. We can be with both blocks at the same time. Then we will have a broader position,” he said.

On the domestic front, Yunus said that reforms in every sector are the main objective of his government. He added that the process of holding elections would go hand in hand with the reforms, but did not say how long his interim administration would rule the country.

When asked to comment on the possibility of Hasina’s extradition, Yunus said, “We (the interim government) should not dwell on it. We are sitting on the judicial reform. If the judicial system is reformed, everything will depend on who will be tried and how.” “At the moment we are not making any political decisions. We just create the scope. You will then proceed as you see fit. We just facilitate,” Yunus said.

On the demand by a section to ban Hasina’s Awami League party, he said, “That is also not our business.”

(This story was not edited by News18 staff and was published by a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)