FS Momen reacts to US comments on Bangladesh election, highlights 'interference'

Amid the United States' comments on Bangladesh elections, Dhaka's Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said that it "interferes with our domestic affairs" but hoped for engagement to "try to make them understand that we are committed and they have no reason to doubt our intentions." Elections will take place in Bangladesh in January, with Washington calling for a "free and peaceful election" which is seen as trying to interfere in the country's internal matters. 

The foreign secretary was in New Delhi for the foreign office consultation with his Indian counterpart. During the meeting, he discussed many issues, including connectivity, the Rohingya crisis, quota for essential commodities etc. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, he said that the plan is for India and Bangladesh to agree to the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement by November of 2026 and the commerce ministries of the 2 sides are in touch with each other over the issue. 

WION: With me is the Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary, here in India for the foreign office consultation. So my first question to you is an obvious question, your conversation with the Indian counterpart, what are the key issues discussed and anything specifically on the CEPA pact which we are looking at between the two countries.

Masud Bin Momen: Thank you very much. We had a very fruitful discussion with my counterpart Vinay Mohan Kwatra yesterday and we discussed many bilateral issues and regional and multilateral issues as well. As far as the issues are concerned, we took stock of many significant developments that took place during 2023 and how we would like to position ourselves for the near future, say 2024 and beyond. We discussed CEPA of course, because, as you know Bangladesh has successfully fulfilled the criteria for the graduation and 2026 November is the deadline when we'll be officially out of the LDC group. Therefore, all the international support measures will be withdrawn although some countries have individually given some transition measures to Bangladesh maybe up to 2029. India has also been holding various support measures, including provisions under SAFTA, whereby the LDCs under SAARC will get zero tariffs in certain categories. Therefore, after 2026 it would be a different scenario. And therefore, we have been discussing the CEPA or Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and the two commerce ministries are in touch with each other , they have formed a technical committee. And yesterday we discussed that, you know, whatever measures that Bangladesh would like to have or what are the measures that India can export to Bangladesh will need to be discussed in these technical committees and eventually, we can have CEPA in place, preferably by November 2026.

WION: So talking about the comments by the American side on your elections, what do you have to say on that and was there any conversation with the Indian side over that we have seen India also talking about the elections.

Masud Bin Momen: Yes, I mean, my counterpart Kwatra had already mentioned, the two plus two, format meeting, what is India's stance. He repeated that to me and also appreciated the position that elections are our internal affairs and as per our institution, as our people's wish, elections will be held. Schedule has been announced by the election commission which is independent and the government also committed to hold free and fair elections. And the date has been fixed 7th January 2024. And currently, all the political parties except a few are going through the various processes of nominating , selecting the candidates. Hopefully, with people's participation we will have free and fair elections and we're also open to welcoming foreign observers so they can come and observe elections and see how free and fair they are.

WION: And on the comments by the American side?

Masud Bin Momen: Well, each country, you know, has their right or prerogative, and they are all our development partners. But if it crosses the line that interferes with our domestic affairs, obviously we will try to remain engaged with them and try to make them understand that we are committed and they have no reason to doubt our intentions.

WION: So my last question to you is that you have sought some quotas for the essential commodities from the Indian side if you could talk about that? Any agreement on that?

Masud Bin Momen: There are certain agricultural commodities where we have certain shortages and if we can get some assurance from the Indian authorities that in quick time, these can be supplied to Bangladesh, unless there are some domestic compulsions in India like kind of shortages. So, you know, if that assurance is given, we agreed in principle, but the problem of identifying the relevant institutions and also the relevant entities and also making the arrangements as to how it could be done may take some time, but in principle, it's great.