Foreign Secretary Misri holds talks with Bangladeshi counterpart

Dhaka: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday held talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohammad Jashim Uddin, amid strained bilateral ties since August following the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Misri arrived in Dhaka earlier in the day on an Indian Air Force jet for a day-long visit, officials said. It is the first high-level visit from New Delhi after a massive uprising ended Hasina's 15-year rule in August.

A senior Bangladesh Foreign Ministry official received him at the airport. Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma was also present at the airport.

Soon after his arrival, Misri held talks with Uddin. He will also meet the country's de-facto foreign minister Mohammad Touhid Hossain.

He is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call to Bangladesh’s interim government head or Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

Misri's visit comes amid increasing strain in ties between New Delhi and Dhaka over attacks on minorities, including Hindus, in Bangladesh after Hasina's ouster.

The close ties between India and Bangladesh came under severe strain after Hasina was forced to leave the country in the face of a massive anti-government protest in August. Nobel Peace laureate Yunus came to power days after Hasina took shelter in India.

The relations deteriorated further in recent weeks over attacks on Hindus and the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das.

There has been a spate of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities as well as attacks on temples in the neighbouring country in the last few weeks that triggered strong concerns in New Delhi.