Bangladesh admits India ties faltered under Yunus government

Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain Thursday admitted that ties with India witnessed a "setback" during the interim regime led by Muhammad Yunus, but hoped that the relations could be restored under an elected government following the general elections scheduled for next week. He told reporters at a media briefing a week ahead of the elections, the first since the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led government in a mass protest in August 2024.Hossain, a former career diplomat who served as the deputy high commissioner in India as well, expressed optimism that the next elected government would be able to make the relationship smoother, finding some ways.
The Yunus-led interim government was installed after the ouster of Hasina's Awami League regime in a student-led violent protest - dubbed as the July Uprising - on August 5, 2024. Since then, the 78-year-old leader has been living in India.While Hossian hailed the interim government, saying that it was "not leaving behind unresolved burdens" and instead pushed forward several important issues to ensure continuity, he expressed optimism that the next elected government would be able to make the relationship between the two nations smoother, finding some ways.
He said, "differing perceptions of national interests" between India and Bangladesh contributed to the slowdown as each side pursued its own priorities, which did not always synchronise. Hossain, however, said the interim government advanced key negotiations, including trade talks with the United States and other partners, to ease the workload of the next elected government. He said Bangladesh has remained actively engaged in discussions, helping reduce tariffs from earlier levels of 25 to 37 per cent to 20 per cent, while tariffs for India and Pakistan stand at 18 per cent. "Achieving such a reduction would complete a major task in advance for the next government,” he added.