India monitoring worker protests in Bangladesh: Jaiswal

India is monitoring recent developments in Bangladesh, including ongoing garment workers’ protests, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has said. He also reiterated India’s interest in advancing a positive, constructive and forward-looking relationship with Bangladesh.

Jaiswal made the remarks in response to questions at the ministry’s regular press briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday (3 November).

Asked about the worker protests in Bangladesh, he said India was following developments in the country. New Delhi, however, hoped to maintain positive and constructive cooperation in bilateral relations.

Asked about renewing the Ganges water-sharing treaty, Jaiswal stressed the importance of pursuing talks through established bilateral institutional mechanisms. He said the Joint Rivers Commission provided a forum for discussions on rivers shared by the two countries, including the Ganges. Discussions on water resources would proceed through that framework.

On high-level diplomatic contacts, the Indian spokesperson said Bangladesh’s prime minister had been invited to visit India. The media would be informed of any new developments in this regard.

At the briefing, a journalist asked about anti-India slogans at a recent NCP protest rally in Dhaka. Jaiswal said India was also monitoring those developments.

Another journalist asked about India’s position on allegations involving an Indian intelligence agency in efforts to destabilise Bangladesh, as well as allegations surrounding Jamaat and the Awami League. Jaiswal declined to comment.