Foreign Adviser hopes for quick resolution of visa issues with India

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Tuesday expressed his hope over the normalisation of the visa issue with India but stressed that the decision to issue a visa is considered a "sovereign right" of a country.

"We did not create visa complications. India has stopped it for whatever reason. It is their sovereign right.... ," he said, adding that if a country does not issue a visa to anyone or to any group, no question can be raised about it as it is their decision.

Talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hossain said they hope that India will announce their decision or step up their activities so that people who want to go to India can get visas.

The Foreign Adviser said what Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said is completely the position of Bangladesh.

"We have always said we want a good working relationship (with India) on the basis of reciprocity and mutual respect," he said, adding that is the reflection of their clear position.

Highlighting historical close ties, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus told BBC Bangla that there is no alternative to maintaining a good relationship between Bangladesh and India, as there had been some clouds in the relations that mainly came through propaganda.

"Some conflicts had been seen in the midway. I would say some clouds were seen. These clouds mostly came through propaganda. Others will judge the sources of those as propaganda," he told BBC Bangla in an interview published on Monday.

Responding to a specific question, Dr Yunus said the relations between the two neighbours are in very good shape and there has been "no deterioration".

Following that, Dr Yunus said, there had been some misunderstandings. "We are trying to overcome these misunderstandings. There is no problem in our basic relationship," Dr Yunus said.

The Chief Adviser said he had always explained that the relations between Bangladesh and India are so deep, still the relationship is in good shape and it will remain good in the future. "There is no alternative to maintain good relations between the two countries," said Dr Yunus.

He said that the relationship between Bangladesh and India is "historically, politically and economically" very close, and they "cannot deviate" from this.

He said there is continuous communication between the two countries.

The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, sent a message to Chief Adviser Prof Yunus, later they had a telephone conversation, and Modi invited Prof Yunus to join the third Voice of Global South Summit hosted virtually by New Delhi on August 17 last year.