Dhaka: Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir has stirred debate after calling on his country to move beyond what he described as an excessive focus on India in its foreign policy outlook.
“Breakfast in India, lunch in India, dinner in India, then when will you eat your own food?” Kobir said, according to The Daily Star. “We have to move beyond this fascination with India. India is just another country, and Bangladesh wants good bilateral relations with it.”
The minister was quick to clarify that his remarks were not a rejection of ties with India. He said Dhaka seeks a reset of its relationship with New Delhi following what he called 15 years of uneasy ties under the previous government.
“We want to move towards a new relationship, and that should be pursued through bilateral discussions, not through a multilateral forum,” Humaiun told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He stressed that his comments were directed specifically at India and the need to build ties through direct engagement. “What I said was mainly applicable to India. We want to build a good working bilateral relationship with India,” he said.
On the question of border incidents between the two countries, Humaiun said Bangladesh would address such matters through diplomatic channels, while following international law, border protocols and existing agreements. He also confirmed that a review of 101 memorandums of understanding between the two countries is underway as part of the parliamentary process.
Separately, the minister announced that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will travel to New York on September 21 and remain there until September 26 to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Rahman is scheduled to address the assembly and present Bangladesh’s vision for its democratic transition and future direction.
“He will share his thoughts and vision for the future of Bangladesh with world leaders,” Humaiun said.
The prime minister is also expected to hold meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the assembly. On the possibility of a meeting with US President Donald Trump, the minister said such meetings are typically decided at the last moment during major international conferences.
Humaiun added that Bangladesh would hold a side event focused on the Rohingya crisis during the UN visit.
