India-Bangladesh Ties "Special" And "Unique": Foreign Secretary

The relationship between India and Bangladesh are "special" and "unique" and New Delhi does not compare it with Dhaka's ties with any other country, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Wednesday, as he sought to downplay China's growing forays in this country.

Addressing a press briefing on President Ram Nath Kovind's first state visit to Bangladesh and his talks with the top leadership, Mr Shringla said, "As far as we are concerned, India and Bangladesh are bound by ties of history, language, spirituality and culture."

"Our ties are unique and we don't compare our relationship with those...that of other countries," he told reporters in response to a question on India's views on China's growing influence on South Asian countries, including Bangladesh.

India doesn't look at what relationships are there with other countries when it celebrates the "uniqueness" of its "special relationship" with Bangladesh, he said on a day when President Kovind held wide-ranging talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart M Abdul Hamid.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hassina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen also called on President Kovind separately and exchanged views on bilateral ties and how the two countries could step up their cooperation in a number of areas for mutual benefit.

Asked what would be India's response if Dhaka decided to join the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), a strategic platform of the United States, India, Japan and Australia, Mr Shringla said, "it is sovereign decision of Bangladesh" and he would not be able to comment on it.

"But the nature of Qaud itself is to work with other countries in partnership and in that partnership Bangladesh is an important partner," he said.

He also added that the idea behind the Quad is to work with the countries in the region and to provide them with means to "attain our common vision of an open, free, transparent and inclusive Indo-Pacific region."

The four countries formed the Quad grouping amidst China's aggressive moves in the strategically vital Indo-Pacific region.

Responding to a question on the Rohingya issue, Mr Shringla said India is the only country that shares a common land border with both Bangladesh and Myanmar.

"We do believe that the three countries have the potentiality to deal with our issues. We do also believe that this issue (of Rohingya) is one that has an impact on all of us, the region and beyond.

"We have always called for sustainable and speedy return of displaced persons from the Rakhine state in Myanmar. We have always worked with Bangladesh and Myanmar to resolve this issue," the foreign secretary said.

He also recalled the development work being undertaken by India in Rakhine province, considered the homeland of the Rohingya community, through the Rakhine State Development Programme.

Myanmar military's campaign against the Rohingya forced the community members, mostly Muslims, to flee to Bangladesh and live in refugee camps in this country. One of the main purposes of India's developmental work in Rakhine is aimed at creating hospitable conditions for the return of the Rohingya community.

Responding to a question on the US imposing sanctions on Bangladeshi security officials, Mr Shringla said, India and Bangladesh deal with each other on a bilateral basis, "we are close friends, we are neighbours, we cooperate on a wide range of areas. I hesitate to speak about what third countries are doing".

"We don't look at our relationship in the prism of (a) third country and so, I would prefer not to comment on anything that involves any third countries at this point of time," he added.

Washington has imposed sanctions on seven former and current high-level officials of Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) over allegations of large-scale human rights abuse. RAB is the apex anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the country's police force.

Among the officials sanctioned is the current inspector-general of police and former director-general of RAB Benazir Ahmed. Current RAB director-general Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun has also been put under the same sanctions. All of them are barred from travelling to the US.