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Vikram Misri appeared in a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs led by Congress lawmaker Dr Shashi Tharoor. Sources said several MPs had questions about what the situation was on the ground, especially with the foreign secretary’s visit to Bangladesh this month…Read More
Foreign secretary Vikram Misri. File pic
Foreign secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday briefed the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs led by Congress lawmaker Dr Shashi Tharoor on the situation in neighbouring Bangladesh.
The meeting, which lasted a couple of hours, saw the participation of 22 out of the 30 members of the committee.
Sources said several MPs had questions about what the situation was on the ground, especially with the foreign secretary’s visit to Bangladesh this month and reports of violence against minorities appearing in the media every day.
Misri told the committee that, contrary to media reports, the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government did not talk about reviewing any agreements with India. He also elaborates that the Bangladesh government had assured action against perpetrators of violence against minorities in that country.
Many MPs cutting across party lines expressed concerns about the violence and unrest in Bangladesh and the fate of an arrested Hindu monk. Government officials assured the panel that all steps at various levels were being taken, including via diplomatic channels.
Sources also indicated that many MPs wanted to find out the status of deposed Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in India for the last couple of months, and whether she was a refugee or had taken asylum here. External affairs ministry officials did not comment on this, the sources added.
After the meeting, committee chairman Tharoor expressed satisfaction at the briefing by the officials of the ministry of external affairs. “It was a very good meeting, and since we will be reporting to Parliament about this issue, which is going to be sometime later next year, it can be termed as a very good beginning,” he said.
The former external affairs minister also said that Vikram Misri had given a comprehensive briefing before the committee. “He comprehensively discussed the issue, and I was glad to see the big turnout of the committee members to participate in the discussion today,” Tharoor added.
The ministry about a week ago updated the committee about India’s ties with China and Canada.
However, the consultative committee meeting, which was scheduled for December 14, in which external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar was to apprise the panel about India’s neighbourhood policy in light of the Bangladesh situation, has been called off due to “unavoidable circumstances” and will be held at a later date.
