The Foreign Secretary-level Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) between Bangladesh and India has finally been confirmed for December 9 in Dhaka, the foreign ministry confirmed today.

“The FOC will be held on December 9, and we will discuss all major bilateral issues between the two countries,” the foreign ministry’s spokesperson and Director General of the Public Diplomacy Wing, Mohammad Rafiqul Alam, told reporters during the ministry’s weekly media briefing.

Key topics slated for discussion include trade, visa connectivity, border killings, and water-sharing, underscoring the comprehensive scope of the high-level talks.
An inter-ministerial meeting has already been held to coordinate preparations for the dialogue, he added.

When asked whether the agenda would include the extradition of ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been residing in India since fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, Alam referred to the earlier briefing from the foreign ministry.

“There is scope for discussion on the matter (extradition of Sheikh Hasina),” said Director General Toufique Hasan during a ministry’s weekly briefing on November 21.

Hasina is currently facing trial in Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal for her alleged involvement in mass killings during the student-led July-August uprising.
Addressing queries about delays in reviewing previous all agreements between Bangladesh and India, the spokesperson attributed the postponement to the interim government’s operational challenges.

As promised, all deals will be reviewed and unveiled in coordination with relevant ministries once the situation stabilized, he assured.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will lead their respective delegations in the consultation.

On Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hosain emphasized the importance of reciprocity in bilateral relations with India.

“It is very clear that we want a good relationship (with India), but both sides need to want that and should work for it,” he told reporters.

-BSS.