New Delhi, April 9, 2025 — Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said that no country wishes more for Bangladesh’s well-being than India, emphasizing the deep, people-to-people ties between the two neighbors.
Speaking at the Rising Bharat Summit 2025, organized by News18 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Jaishankar said, “We hope that Bangladesh will stay on the right path and do the right things.” He further stated that India’s commitment to Bangladesh’s welfare is “embedded in India’s DNA.”
His remarks come shortly after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-profile meeting with Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s interim government, on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand. The meeting has generated significant buzz across South Asia amid ongoing discussions about democratic transition in Bangladesh.
Commenting on the meeting, Jaishankar said, “Bangladesh will return to democracy, and elections will be held.”
Highlighting India’s concerns, he added, “The key message from our side is that our relationship with Bangladesh is very unique, rooted in historical and people-to-people connections. But we are concerned about the voices coming from the people of Bangladesh. We are worried about the extremist tendencies we are seeing. We are concerned about the attacks on minorities. I believe we had a very candid discussion about these concerns.”
Jaishankar’s comments signal India’s close watch on developments in Bangladesh and reflect New Delhi’s growing unease with the current political atmosphere in the neighboring country.