United States President Donald Trump on Thursday rejected any involvement of the US ‘deep state’ in Bangladesh’s internal matter and urged Prime Minister Modi to take questions on the matter.
“There was no role for our deep state. This is something that the Prime Minister has been working on for a long time. Frankly, I’ve been reading about it, I will leave Bangladesh to the Prime Minister,” Trump said.
President Trump’s remarks came while responding to a query during a press meeting at the White House after bilateral talks with PM Narendra Modi.
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Narendra Modi also expressed concerns over the ongoing issues in Bangladesh.
India’s reaction to the Bangladesh issue
The issue of Bangladesh’s political instability, particularly following the collapse of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in August last year, has been a point of tension between India and Bangladesh.
Diplomatic protests have also arisen regarding the border fencing issue and other ongoing disputes.
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Addressing a press briefing after a meeting between Prime Minister Modi and the US President in the White House, the foreign secretary said that the subject was discussed between the two leaders and expressed hope that the situation in India’s neighbouring country would progress for the pursuit of “stable and constructive” relations between the two nations.
“This was a subject that was discussed between the two leaders. The Prime Minister shared his views and, indeed, his concerns about recent developments in Bangladesh and how India sees the situation. We hope that the situation in Bangladesh will also move forward in a direction where we can pursue relations constructively and stably with them. But there are concerns about that situation. And the Prime Minister shared those views with President Trump,” the Foreign Secretary said in response to a reporter’s question.
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In August 2024, a student-led movement ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after weeks of protest and violence that resulted in over 600 deaths. Hasina, 76, fled to India, and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was subsequently formed.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Bangladesh in December last year. India and Bangladesh agreed to maintain “good working relations.”