Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, has courted controversy with his latest statement about Bangladesh-India relations. In his London speech, during an engagement with Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox, Yunus said he was upset that the relationship between the two South Asian neighbours had not yet returned to normal. He argued that Bangladesh has always wanted to have a warm relationship with India, but some hiccups, particularly the dissemination of false information by the Indian media, have continuously derailed such attempts.
“Our desire is to have the best relationship with India. They are our neighbour and we do not want to have any fundamental problems with them,” Yunus said. But he followed up by saying, “And somehow things always take a wrong turn, especially due to the fake news peddled by the Indian press… and many have reasons to believe that this is engineered at the highest level by policymakers.”
Yunus stated that such reports not only hurt diplomatic relations, but they also spark anger among people in Bangladesh. It sets us awake and right mad. It can be difficult, despite our attempts to move on past it, as there is a continual spreading of misinformation, particularly on the internet, he added.
Taking up the issue of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Yunus disclosed that Bangladesh is seeking the extradition of Hasina through a legal process now that she has been indicted by the International Crimes Tribunal. He said it will be a very legal, very proper process that will go through international legal means, including Interpol.
Yunus also said that he had protested to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well, asking him (Modi) to disallow Hasina to make politically explosive appeals to the people of Bangladesh while being on Indian territory. Modi, according to Yunus, responded by saying that such utterances on social media can not be controlled.
The Indian government is yet to make an official reaction to the statements made by Yunus. The remarks will probably evoke a new discussion of the role of the media, diplomacy, and political tensions in the region.
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