Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh's interim government, strongly rejected the notion that Bangladesh will turn into another Afghanistan without Sheikh Hasina at the helm, urging India to abandon this narrative and work towards improving bilateral ties.
Yunus stated that the attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh are "more political than communal" and questioned India's portrayal of these incidents.
"These attacks are political in nature and not communal. And India is propagating these incidents in a big way. We have not said that we can't do anything; we have said that we are doing everything," he said in an interview with news agency PTI.
The attacks on Hindus, which included vandalism of businesses and properties as well as the destruction of Hindu temples, occurred during the student-led violence that erupted after Hasina fled the country on August 5.
Yunus, who was appointed the country's Chief Adviser after Hasina's ouster, reiterated that the issue of attacks on minorities is "exaggerated" and that the incidents are a fallout of a political upheaval rather than communal violence.
The Nobel laureate also urged India to move beyond the narrative that portrays Bangladesh as being in safe hands only under Sheikh Hasina's leadership.
"The way forward is for India to come out of the narrative. The narrative is that everybody is Islamist, BNP is Islamist, and everyone else is Islamist and will make this country into Afghanistan. And Bangladesh is in safe hands with Sheikh Hasina at the helm only. India is captivated by this narrative. India needs to come out of this narrative. Bangladesh, like any other nation, is just another neighbour," he said.
Yunus expressed a desire for strong ties with India and called for greater cooperation to improve the strained relationship between the two neighbours. "We need to work together to improve this relationship, which is now at a low," he said.
The military-backed caretaker government also conveyed to India that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina must remain silent until Bangladesh requests her extradition.
"If India wants to keep her until the time Bangladesh (government) wants her back, the condition would be that she has to keep quiet," Yunus said.
Yunus's comments come amid ongoing tensions between Bangladesh and India, with India expressing concerns over the safety of Hindus and minorities in Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address, expressed hope that the situation in violence-hit Bangladesh would return to normal soon and said 1.4 billion Indians are concerned about the safety of Hindus and minorities in the neighbouring country.
Source: India Today