India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is expected in Dhaka on Dec 9, the first high level meeting since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, an event which has seen a perceptible chill in relations between Delhi and Dhaka.
Bangladesh recently issued summons to the the Indian high commissioner for the first time in five years. The summons was related to the breach of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, Tripura, by an affiliate of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The mission has since suspended all visa services.
The Dhaka based Prothom Alo quoted unidentified overnment sources as saying that “The tension that has developed between the two countries since August is not only new but also rare since independence.”
Misri will have to address not only those questions but also the view there of a propaganda campaign being waged against Bangladesh for attacks on minorities. Dhaka seems convinced that India has not accepted the new realities in Bangladesh.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossein was quoted as saying “We want good relations but they must be reciprocal. We have to work towards that objective.”
Misri is expected to seek answers to questions relating to the political way forward in that country. He is also expected to call on Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus and face demands for Hasina’s extradition to stand trial for corruption and misuse of office.
Misri’s arrival will also coincide with moves to wipe out all memories of the founder of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. A report in the Dhaka Tribune said his image would not figure any more on currency notes, whether new or old.
New notes that the Bangladesh Bank is printing will instead carry elements linked to the July uprising that saw the ouster of Mujib’s daughter Sheikh Hasina and her flight to India. The new notes will carry religious landmarks, Bengali cultural motifs and graffiti from the uprising, the paper said quoting sources from the bank.
The Bangladeshi Taka comes in eight denominations (5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000) but for the time being, the new notes minus the Mujib image will be limited to four denominations, 20, 100, 500, 1000 taka. Subsequently, the new images will be extended to other notes.
“We hope to release the new notes into circulation within six months,” said Husneara Shikha, executive director of the Bangladesh Bank.
The scrubbing of the Bangabandhu’s image from currency notes mirrors the larger hostility of the people towards his family and more so his daughter, who ruled the country with an iron hand and at least two rigged elections.
