New Delhi [India], June 27: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs is set to meet on Friday to examine the subject ‘Future of India–Bangladesh Relationship’, amid rising diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
The meeting will include testimonies from experts and non-official witnesses. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who has chaired the committee since September 2024, will preside over the session.
The development comes shortly after India strongly condemned the demolition of a Durga temple in Dhaka, blaming the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus for allowing the act and misrepresenting it as an issue of illegal land use.
At a weekly press briefing in New Delhi on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Extremists demanded the demolition of the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka. Instead of protecting the temple, the interim government portrayed the issue as a land dispute and permitted the demolition.”
Jaiswal further said the destruction caused damage to the deity before it was moved and described the incident as part of a recurring pattern of attacks against Hindu religious sites in Bangladesh. “It is the responsibility of the interim government to protect Hindus, their properties, and their places of worship,” he asserted.
Bangladesh Railway authorities confirmed that the Khilkhet Sarbojanin Shri Shri Durga Mandir, which they claim was illegally constructed on railway land, was removed after mounting pressure from local groups. According to New Age, a Dhaka-based newspaper, the temple was torn down just three days after a mob demanded its removal. Minority organisations in Bangladesh have condemned the action, claiming no prior notice was given.
In another flashpoint, trade relations between the two countries have also been strained. In May, India imposed restrictions on imports of Bangladeshi ready-made garments (RMG) and other goods through its northeastern land ports, including those in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, as well as Fulbari and Changrabandha in West Bengal.
The move followed controversial comments made by Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus during a speech in China, where he referred to India’s northeastern region as a “landlocked area with no access to the ocean.” Indian officials interpreted this as an undermining of the region’s strategic importance and connectivity.
As a result of India’s restrictions, Bangladeshi exporters have been forced to reroute shipments — including garments, processed foods, plastics, and furniture — through Kolkata or Nhava Sheva ports, significantly increasing transport and logistics costs.
The upcoming Parliamentary Committee meeting is expected to take stock of these diplomatic developments and discuss India’s long-term strategy regarding its relationship with Bangladesh.
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