On ISI officials visit to Bangladesh, India says will take appropriate steps

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India keeps a close watch on developments in the neighbourhood and takes “appropriate action as required”

NEW DELHI: India on Friday reacted to reports of growing military engagements between Bangladesh and Pakistan and the visit of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officials to Dhaka by saying that it will take appropriate steps to safeguard national security.

The visits have taken place amid a sharp downturn in India-Bangladesh relations since the caretaker regime headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took over last August. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Against the backdrop of an increase in contacts between military officials of Pakistan and Bangladesh in recent weeks, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing that India keeps a close watch on developments in the neighbourhood and takes “appropriate action as required”.

A delegation of ISI officers, which includes Maj Gen Shahid Amir Afsar, the agency’s director general of analysis, is currently in Bangladesh. The team travelled to Dhaka less than a week after a Bangladeshi delegation led by Lt Gen SM Kamrul Hasan, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division, toured Pakistan and held meetings with the three service chiefs.

These visits have taken place amid a sharp downturn in India-Bangladesh relations since the caretaker regime headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took over last August.

Jaiswal responded to questions on the engagement between the Bangladeshi and Pakistani militaries by saying: “We keep an eye on all activities around the country and in the region, as well as all activities affecting national security, and the government will take appropriate steps.”

India’s approach towards Bangladesh has been to maintain friendly ties and to build on the existing relationship, he said. “We support a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. We want to strengthen our ties so that the people of India and Bangladesh can prosper,” he added.

Jaiswal responded to a separate question on Bangladeshi authorities objecting to India’s efforts to build a fence in unfenced stretches of the border with the stated objective of countering criminal activities such as human and cattle trafficking by saying that such construction work is covered by existing bilateral agreements.

Bangladesh should implement these agreements “with a positive and constructive approach” so that the border can be made crime-free, Jaiswal said.