India comments on Bangladesh's possible joining of Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey military alliance

India has clarified its stance on the possibility of Bangladesh joining a military alliance involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey. At a regular weekly briefing of the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said they are closely monitoring the situation in West Asia and have nothing further to say on the matter at this moment.

During the briefing on Friday, a journalist asked for India's position on speculation that Bangladesh might join the military alliance. The response was given in reply to that question.

Questions were also raised at the briefing about Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's potential visit to India and his participation in the BRICS summit. On this, Randhir Jaiswal stated, "Regarding the question about the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, I have nothing to say at the moment. If I have any update, I will share it with you."

The future of the Ganges water-sharing treaty was also questioned during the briefing. In response, Randhir Jaiswal reminded that the Ganges Water Treaty signed in 1996 has a 30-year term. He said, "All river-related issues between India and Bangladesh are discussed under the framework of the Joint River Commission. Additionally, meetings of the Joint Committee under the Ganges Water Treaty are regularly held at the technical level."

Speculation regarding Tarique Rahman's visit to India has been growing recently due to increased diplomatic communication between the two countries. On Friday afternoon, a formal press release regarding the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister to Delhi was quickly withdrawn by India's Rashtrapati Bhavan within an hour of its publication.