Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen on Wednesday said the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill could weaken India’s historic character as a secular nation and rejected the allegations that the minorities were facing religious persecution in his country.
“India is historically a tolerant country which believes in secularism [but] their historic position will be weakened if they deviate from that,” Mr. Momen told reporters.
He said Bangladesh and India were enjoying close friendly relations that was termed as “golden chapter” of bilateral ties and “so, naturally our people [Bangladeshis] expect that India won’t do anything that could create anxiety among them”.
Mr. Momen termed as “untrue the allegations of minority repression in Bangladesh by Home Minister Amit Shah, saying whoever gave them the information, it is not correct”.
“Many important decisions of our country are taken by persons belonging to different religions...we never judge anybody by their religion,” he said.
Mr. Momen said Bangladesh maintained strong religion harmony and ensured that followers of all faiths enjoy same rights in every area. He said during his talks earlier on Thursday with U.S. Ambassador in Dhaka Earl R Miller, the envoy expressed America’s concern about the CAB.
“They [U.S.] are being critical about that [as well] . . . they believe India weakened its position by doing it [passing the Bill],” he said.
You have reached your limit for free articles this month.
Subscription Benefits Include
Today's Paper
Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.
Unlimited Access
Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.
Personalised recommendations
A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.
Faster pages
Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.
Dashboard
A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.
Briefing
We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.
Support Quality Journalism.
*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print.
A letter from the Editor
Dear subscriber,
Thank you!
Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.
The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.
We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Suresh Nambath
Please Email the Editor