Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday said India was closely watching the developments in Bangladesh and keeping military communication channels open to avoid any “miscommunication or misunderstanding”.
He said Bangladesh military actions were not targeted at India. “I want to assure you that, as of today, whatever actions are being taken are not directed against India in any way,” the army chief said.
On the situation across the eastern border, he said India’s immediate response would depend on the nature of the government in Dhaka.
“First of all, it is important for us to understand what kind of government is in place in Bangladesh. If it is an interim government, we need to see whether the actions it is taking are meant for the next four-five years, or only for the next four-five months. We have to judge whether there is any need for us to react immediately or not,” he said.
“Secondly, as of today, all three services have kept their communication channels fully open. The Indian Army has multiple channels of communication open and I remain in regular touch with their chief there. In the same way, we are also in contact through our other channels as well,” Gen. Dwivedi added.
He said India had already sent a team to assess the situation there. “We (army) had sent a delegation there, which met everyone. Similarly, the chief of the naval staff and the chief of the air staff have also spoken,” he said, stressing that the intention is to avoid any “miscommunication or misunderstanding”.
Responding to the increased Pakistan-Bangladesh engagement, Gen. Dwivedi described capability development as routine for all countries. “As far as capability development is concerned, it is something that is an ongoing process. India is also doing it, and other countries are also doing it. As far as our preparation is concerned, we are closely monitoring.... We are having our training exchange programme. There is no problem in our military relationship with Bangladesh,” he said.
New Delhi’s ties with Bangladesh have come under strain since Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League regime was ousted in August last year following a violent protest. The simmering tension between the two countries has escalated with diplomatic protests and a sports boycott.
Both countries have suspended visa services in several cities and accused each other of failing to ensure adequate security for their diplomatic missions.