'We trust India to not harm us': Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on CAA-NRC

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said when it comes to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Bangladesh trusts New Delhi and the Indian leadership. Speaking exclusively with our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Momen said that New Delhi has assured Dhaka that the citizenship issue will not impact India-Bangladesh bilateral relations and he believes in the Indian government. He also spoke on Teesta, SAARC and other issues. Zee Media Newsroom brings you this exclusive interview in which the Bangladesh Foreign Minister has spoken extensively since the passage of CAA in December of 2019.

Sidhant Sibal: How do you see current ties between India and Bangladesh?

A K Abdul Momen: Current ties between Bangladesh and India are simply excellent. Our relationship is based on mutual trust and confidence.

Given that he key has been connectivity, how is the work going on with the projects?

The work on connectivity is progressing smoothly.

How do you see India's support on the Rohingya refugee issue? Do you think India needs to do more?

India has assured us of full support on the Rohingya issue. Being a friend, our expectation is that they will do much more proactively and effectively.

Are you hopeful that the Teesta Issue will be resolved with India, given that it has been a long-pending issue?

Yes, we are hopeful that the Teesta issue will be resolved just as India promised it.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is something that has been talked about a lot during recent times. Do you think that it is going to have a negative impact on the state of relationship between India and Bangladesh?

The issue of CAA and NRC is India's internal. New Delhi has already assured us repeatedly that these issues will not affect Bangladesh at all. We have trust on the Indian leadership and we expect that India, being our historic friend will not do anything that may cause harm to Bangladesh.

Regarding the SAARC, do you think that the body has been particularly ineffective during recent years?

When relationship and confidence between Pakistan and India improve, SAARC can be more effective and can deliver better. Thank you.