Indian foreign secretary’s remark on Bangladesh polls ‘unwarranted’: Touhid
He also discussed growing visa difficulties for Bangladeshi students and workers in some countries
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today (8 October) described the recent comment made by Indian foreign secretary regarding the upcoming national election of Bangladesh as "completely unwarranted" saying that it is entirely an internal affair of the country.
"I consider that statement to be none of their concern; it is entirely an internal matter for Bangladesh, and such comments are completely unwarranted," he told reporters during a briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this afternoon.
He made the remarks when asked to comment on the Indian foreign secretary's recent statement that India would continue to engage with whoever comes to power in Bangladesh through free, fair, transparent, internationally recognised and participatory elections.
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During the briefing, the adviser also responded to queries on several contemporary issues, including a letter from the president, reports on military cooperation with Turkey, and visa-related challenges faced by Bangladeshi citizens abroad.
Declines comment on president's letter, calls it personal expression
On a question about a letter reportedly sent by the president to him, Touhid said he had received it and preferred not to make any comment.
"He [the president] simply expressed his feelings; I do not want to comment further on it," he said.
Responding to another query, the adviser clarified that no law or official instruction was issued regarding the removal of the president's photograph from Bangladesh missions abroad.
Ambassadors' visit to ex-AL minister's home not a crime
When asked about a reported meeting involving three foreign ambassadors at the residence of a former Awami League minister, Touhid said "visiting a private residence was not a crime".
"They merely visited a private house. Diplomats can, in general, go to anyone's home. However, the discussion and expected outcomes of that meeting are naturally drawing attention," he noted.
Bangladesh-Turkey military cooperation part of normal bilateral engagement
On reports of a possible Turkish military cooperation proposal, the adviser said such developments are part of normal bilateral engagements.
"Turkey has considerable military technology. We already have military cooperation with many countries and should continue to expand it. This is a normal development between two friendly nations," he said.
Asked about reports of Bangladeshis being killed in counterterrorism operations in Pakistan, Touhid cautioned against generalising such incidents.
"There can be one or two isolated cases. Bangladesh is not participating in any such conflict, and we certainly do not want our citizens to be involved in any foreign operations," he said.
Govt engaging abroad to ease visa challenges for citizens
He also discussed growing visa difficulties for Bangladeshi students and workers in some countries, noting that the government is actively engaging with foreign authorities to ease restrictions.
"There is huge demand for study visas — for example, about 80,000 Bangladeshi students applied to German universities, but they can process only around 2,000 cases per year," he said.
Touhid added that Bangladesh has requested Germany to increase student intake to at least 9,000 per year, similar to the quota offered to Pakistan.
He also explained that the government is exploring alternative visa arrangements through other regional missions to address backlogs and service shortages.
However, he acknowledged that the issue of fake documents and irregular migration has hurt Bangladesh's reputation.
"Even genuine people are facing difficulties because of these practices. We must fix the problems at home first," the adviser added.
