Foreign secretary Vikram Misri to visit Bangladesh on Dec 9 amid rising unrest

India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is set to visit Bangladesh on December 9, amidst rising tensions between the neighboring nations fueled by escalating violence against Hindu and other minority communities. Misri's visit includes a meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart, as well as a series of discussions aimed at addressing the ongoing crisis, confirmed Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

"Foreign Secretary is scheduled to visit Bangladesh on the 9th of December and he will meet his counterpart, and there will be several other meetings during the visit. Foreign Office consultations led by the Foreign Secretary is a structured engagement between India and Bangladesh. We look forward to this meeting," Jaiswal stated during a Friday press briefing.

Misri’s visit comes amid political upheaval in Bangladesh. Since Sheikh Hasina's ouster as Prime Minister on August 5 and her subsequent flight to India for refuge, the nation has been gripped by turmoil. The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has struggled to restore order amidst a surge in mob violence and targeted attacks on minorities.

Bangladesh recently recalled its senior diplomats from India. Shikdar Md. Ashrafur Rahman, the acting deputy high commissioner in Kolkata, and Arifur Rahman, assistant high commissioner in Tripura, were summoned back to Dhaka on an urgent basis earlier this week, as reported by Prothom Alo.

Tensions reached a boiling point in October with the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent ISKCON priest and an advocate for minority rights. Das was detained at Dhaka airport over allegations of disrespecting the Bangladeshi flag during a rally. Das has been denied bail, sparking outrage among his supporters.