Bangladesh need not “lose sleep” over the row following the publication of the final draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, says State Minister for Foreign Affairs in Bangladesh, Shahriar Alam.
A report appearing in India Today stated that Alam told reporters at a programme organised at the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) auditorium in Dhaka on Thursday that some people are trying to “politicise Assam’s citizen list”.
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The report further quoted Alam as saying, “The Assam Government gave a clear explanation on the citizen list. There will be no impact on Bangladesh-India bilateral relations with this list. There is nothing to be worried about it.”
The Assam Government released the final draft NRC on July 30 last following which a huge political battle has ensued over 40 lakh people being left out of the final draft. There has been discussion and criticism in the political circles. Bangladesh considers the matter as India’s “internal affair”.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, said, “Bangladesh should not worry about the list published by the Assam Government. There is nothing to be afraid of those whose names have been dropped off from the list.”
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“This citizen list has been made according to the directions of the Supreme Court of India. This is not a political decision. This list will not affect the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India,” Shringla said.
“We have a friendly relationship with Bangladesh and we would like to move forward in the coming days,” Shringla concluded.