India closely following developments in Bangladesh: Indian Army chief

Indian Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi has said New Delhi is closely watching developments in Bangladesh and is keeping military-to-military communication channels open to avoid any "miscommunication or misunderstanding," UNI reported.

When asked about the situation in Bangladesh during a press conference in New Delhi yesterday (12 January), he said India's immediate response would depend on the nature of the government in Dhaka.

"First of all, it is important for us to understand what kind of government is in place in Bangladesh. If it is an interim government, we need to see whether the actions it is taking are meant for the next 4-5 years, or only for the next 4-5 months. We have to judge whether there is any need for us to react immediately or not..." he said.

Gen Dwivedi said all three defence services of India are maintaining active contact with their counterparts in Bangladesh.

"As of today, all three Services have kept their communication channels fully open. The Indian Army has multiple channels of communication open and I remain in regular touch with their chief there. In the same way, we are also in contact through our other channels as well," he said.

The Army chief added that India had already sent a team to assess the situation amid rising incidents of attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in the country.

"We had sent a delegation there, which met everyone on the ground. Similarly, the chief of the Naval Staff and the chief of the Air Staff have also spoken," he said, adding the outreach was aimed at ensuring clarity between the forces. "The intention is to ensure that there is no miscommunication or misunderstanding."

Gen Dwivedi said actions by Bangladeshi forces were not targeted at India. "I want to assure you that, as of today, whatever actions are being taken ... are not directed against India in any way," he said.