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Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has said the vast majority of the people of Bangladesh now understand that it should have good relations with neighbours – for its own prosperity as well as that of the region.
He said his party (Bangladesh Awami League) is painted as a ‘pro-Indian’ party but AL is a pro-Bangladeshi party.
“There are anti-Indian elements. We specifically see this issue during elections. But the anti-Indian sentiment is gradually diminishing in Bangladesh,” he told the members of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia during an interaction in New Delhi on February 9.
The Foreign Minister said the tablet or capsule of blaming Awami League as a pro-India party does not work anymore like the past.
“Today, the vast majority of the people understand that for the prosperity of Bangladesh and the region, neighbours should have good relations,” he said while responding to a question.
Asked about balancing relations, the Foreign Minister said Bangladesh-India relationship is not comparable to any other relations.
“Bangladesh’s relations with India are bonded by blood and shared sacrifice during the War of Liberation in 1971,” Hasan said.
He said although China is not Bangladesh’s immediate neighbor but it is a neighbor and a development partner of Bangladesh.
The Foreign Minister said they face a lot of challenges due to the wave of fake news. He said this is a problem even in Europe and shared how fake news was spread during Covid-19.
He mentioned that this is an area where all need to work together. “We can work together to fight against fake news.”
