India, Bangladesh have to maintain cordial relations, can't afford 'hostile' ties: Former Bangladesh envoy Tareq Karim

Dhaka [Bangladesh], January 13 : India and Bangladesh have to maintain cordial relations and they can't afford to have 'hostile' ties with each other, former Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Tareq A Karim said on Monday.
In an interview to ANI, the former envoy said that New Delhi and Dhaka must engage with each other, adding they cannot make policies "by crossing each other's signals."
"If we want to maintain cordial relations, then we must talk with each other. We cannot be making policies by crossing each other's signals. We must engage and we must diffuse. Bangladesh and India cannot afford to have hostile relations with each other," he said.
When asked about priorities that Bangladesh's new government should focus on to maintain stable ties with India, he said, "Re-engage in official conversations as well as re-engage in people to people contacts, re-energize trade and and economic activities without these we will not be able to move forward."
Speaking on the changes in Bangladesh following the leadership change after Sheikh Hasina's ouster, Karim said "lot of emotions" are in play in both sides, but both the Indian government and Bangladesh's interim government want to continue maintaining cordial relations with each other.
"Well, a lot of emotions are in the play in both sides in the media and social media, but my impression is that the governments of both the countries want to maintain, continue maintaining cordial relations with each other, and I think the official signals is what we should give importance to because the social media and will feed a lot of news and fake news, which vitiates the atmosphere that is not in the interest of either Bangladesh or India," he further said.
A student protest turned into a massive uprising leading to the ouster of then Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, after weeks of protests and clashes that killed over 600 people. Hasina (76) fled to India and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed in Dhaka.
When asked whether he anticipates shift in India's approach towards Bangladesh under the new government, Tareq A Karim said that every country has its national interest and relationship between two countries is decided by their "ability to address each other's national interest in an amicable manner."
"Every country's foreign relations is based on its perceptions of its own national interest. We have our national interest and they have the national interest. The friendship between two countries decided by their ability to address each other's national interest in an amicable manner so that the national interests of both countries come and meet at a point where there is an equilibrium. When there's an equilibrium, you call that friendship. If the equilibrium shifts, then there will be turbulences in the relationship," Karim added.
He also asserted that both nations have to keep the issue of Sheikh Hasina on side and instead lay the focus on continuation and expansion of trade and connectivity.
"There's been a regime change in Bangladesh, and it is undeniable that India has permitted Sheikh Hasina to stay in India. Now, we have to address each other's mutual concerns, keeping that factor on the side and not make it central because by doing so, we are likely to obfuscate other issues which are of vital importance to us, that is maintenance of harmony along the borders, continuation and expansion of trade, as well as connectivity with the our neighbours to our east. The larger question of cooperation will become under stress. For both countries, proceeding on the road to regional cooperation is essential to reach the goal of self-sufficiency, self-development and autonomy in development towards higher growths of income."
Notably, the interim Bangladesh government has demanded the extradition of Sheikh Hasina from India.
The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed receiving the request from Dhaka. It reaffirmed India's support for a "democratic stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh" and called people of two nations as the main stakeholders in the ties between New Delhi and Dhaka.
Earlier in the day, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, Nural Islam was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs.
The summon came a day after the Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka, Pranay Verma was summoned by the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry on Sunday. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry had raised "deep concern" over the recent fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border and summoned the Indian High Commissioner to express its objections.
Today, the MEA conveyed to Bangladesh envoy that "with regard to security measures at the border, including on fencing, India observed all protocols and agreements between the two governments and between the Border Security Force and Border Guard Bangladesh."
"India reiterated its commitment to ensuring a crime-free border by effectively addressing the challenges of cross-border criminal activities, smuggling, movement of criminals and trafficking. Barbed wire fencing, border lighting, installation of technical devices and cattle fences are measures for securing the border," the statement read.
New Delhi also conveyed its expectation that all earlier understandings will be implemented by Bangladesh and that there will a cooperative approach to combating cross-border crimes, it added.