Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri Arrives in Dhaka for Bilateral Talks

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrived in Dhaka on Monday morning for discussions on strengthening bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh. This is the first visit since Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, assumed power. Misri’s visit comes at a time of growing concerns over the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.

The visit is part of the ongoing Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) mechanism, established to address various issues between the two nations. The delegation led by the foreign secretaries is expected to engage in comprehensive talks on matters of mutual interest. Earlier this year, in September, Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain met with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Meanwhile, reports of attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh have continued. On December 6, another Hindu temple, the Mahabhagya Lakshminarayan Mandir in Dhor village, located on the outskirts of Dhaka, was allegedly set on fire. In addition to the temple attacks, Chinmoy Krishna Das, a monk associated with the Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote, remains under arrest in Dhaka on sedition charges. His arrest on November 25 followed a complaint from a local politician, who accused him and others of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag during a rally held by the Hindu community in October. The Ministry of External Affairs in India has urged the Bangladesh interim government to ensure that Das’s legal rights are respected and that his trial is fair and transparent.
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