NEW DELHI: During his recent meeting with Bangladesh interim government’s foreign affairs advisor Touhid Hossain in Muscat, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conveyed that Bangladesh “should not normalise terrorism”, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in the Omani capital last week.

At his weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was asked if SAARC came up during the discussions between the two ministers in Muscat. “Yes, the matter was brought up by the Bangladesh side when our EAM met their foreign advisor in Muscat. Everyone in South Asia is aware as to which country and what activities are responsible for stymieing SAARC. The EAM conveyed that Bangladesh should not normalise terrorism,” he said.

In an interactive session at a think-tank meet in 2024, Jaishankar, without naming any country, had said the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was in trouble as one of its member nations had been relentlessly backing terrorism. The SAARC is a regional bloc comprising India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Unprecedented student-led protests in Bangladesh last year had precipitated the fall of the previous government led by Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India on August 5, leaving behind a country in political turmoil. The country is currently being led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus assisted by his team of advisors.

Replying to a query, Jaiswal said at the briefing, “Regarding your second question about comments being made by certain advisors and what sort of impact will they have on our dealings — yes, obviously we have taken note of such remarks, which are of course not helpful. It is for concerned individuals to reflect on the implications for their particular domains.” Bangladesh’s interim government has been insisting on the revival of SAARC which has been suspended for a long time.

An X post made by Jaishankar on February 16 after the meeting did not mention SAARC. “Met Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain of the Interim Government of Bangladesh. The conversation was focused on our bilateral relationship, as also on BIMSTEC,” he wrote. A Bangladesh foreign ministry statement issued last week after the two leaders met in Muscat said, “Hossain sought to initiate discussions for the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty signed in 1996 and emphasised the need for convening the SAARC standing committee meeting and requested New Delhi’s support on the matter.” “Both sides recognised the challenges the two neighbours are facing in terms of bilateral relations and discussed the necessity to work together to address those,” it added. Bangladesh and India share over 4,000-km-long international border.