Bangladesh foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Wednesday said it is “strategically possible” for Dhaka to join a regional grouping with Pakistan that excludes India, amid signals from Islamabad about forming a new trilateral initiative with China and Bangladesh. Responding to a question at the foreign ministry, he said, “It is possible for us (Bangladesh) strategically … (but) it is not possible for Nepal or Bhutan to form a grouping with Pakistan excluding India.”His remarks follow Pakistan deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar’s recent statement at the ‘Islamabad Conclave’ that discussions had begun on a trilateral initiative involving Pakistan, China and Bangladesh, which could later expand. Touhid said Dar “has said something, and perhaps at some point this could see some progress,” adding that he had no further comment as he had only seen the information in media reports.He also addressed other ongoing diplomatic issues, noting that the process to lift US sanctions on the rapid action battalion (RAB) is in progress. He highlighted “significant progress” in the elite force’s operations over the past 15 years and reiterated the government’s commitment to preventing human rights violations, abductions and extrajudicial killings. Asked about the possibility of sanctions targeting Bangladeshi leaders after August 5, he dismissed the likelihood, saying he had not seen any allegations suggesting such risks. He added that discussions with the United States on the general security of military information agreement (GSOMIA) were continuing.On high visa refusal rates for Bangladeshi students and applicants, the adviser said many cases stemmed from forged documents submitted during the visa process.Earlier in June reacting to a trilateral meeting between Pakistan, China and Bangladesh and potential grouping, the ministry of external affairs had said, “We maintain a constant watch on the developments in our neighbourhood that have a bearing on our interests and our security, our relations with individual countries, while they stand on their own footing, take into account the evolving context as well.”
