India called for viewing contacts with Jamaat-e-Islami as normal diplomacy

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has called for Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami contacts to be seen in the context of normal diplomatic activity.

The Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the remarks during a weekly briefing in New Delhi on Friday (January 16).

The comments follow Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman’s December 31 interview with Reuters, in which he said he met an Indian diplomat after his bypass surgery last year, reportedly at the diplomat’s request to keep the meeting private.

Responding to a question about whether India maintains contact with Jamaat-e-Islami like it does with other political parties in Bangladesh, Jaiswal said, “We have close bilateral ties with Bangladesh. Our High Commission officials regularly meet various stakeholders. The meetings you mentioned should be seen in that context.”