'Want good relation with India but...': Bangladesh's Yunus says he has taken steps to revive SAARC

Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Dr Muhammad Yunus stated on Wednesday that Dhaka wants good relations with India and its neighbors based on "fairness and equality." In a televised address, Yunus mentioned that after assuming office, he received congratulatory calls from foreign leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. "We want good relations with India and other neighboring nations, but those relations should be on the basis of fairness and equality," Yunus said.

The 84-year-old Nobel laureate took charge as the head of the interim government on August 8 after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India following violent protests against her government. Yunus also said that Bangladesh has initiated high-level bilateral talks with India to address flood-related issues.

He further stated that steps have been taken to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to enhance regional cooperation. SAARC members include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. "We want the world to recognise Bangladesh as a respected democracy," Yunus said.

This is the second time Dr. Muhammad Yunus has spoken about maintaining good relations with India, but with conditions. Previously, he had remarked that if Delhi wanted strong ties, it needed to ensure Sheikh Hasina remained silent. "If India wants to keep her until Bangladesh asks for her return, the condition is that she must keep quiet," he said in an interview with PTI.

Yunus emphasized that while Bangladesh values its relationship with India, New Delhi must "move beyond the narrative that portrays every political party except the Awami League as Islamist, and the idea that Bangladesh will become another Afghanistan without Sheikh Hasina."

He further stated that Hasina making political comments from India is an "unfriendly gesture" and stressed that she must remain silent to avoid creating discomfort for both nations until Dhaka formally requests her extradition.