Days before a scheduled summit between Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh, coronavirus infection among the top members of the foreign policy team in Dhaka has led to the cancellation of Foreign Secretary-level talks that were to be held on Tuesday in New Delhi, diplomatic sources said.
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, who was to arrive in Delhi for a two-day visit on Tuesday, had to cancel his meeting with his Indian counterpart Harsh Vardhan Shringla because of the ailment.
“Both Masud Bin Momen and Foreign Minister Dr A.K. Abdul Momen have been unwell for sometime because of COVID-19 infection. That is why the Foreign Secretary failed to travel for the pre-summit discussion. The main summit, a virtual event between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is expected to take place on December 17”, said a source from Bangladesh familiar with the planning of the summit.
Bangladesh Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam tested positive last month.
The Foreign Secretary-level interaction was expected to streamline the agenda of the summit, which is likely to focus on COVID-19 cooperation between the two sides and the coming events to mark the 50th anniversary of independence of Bangladesh on March 26, 2021.
Mr. Modi is scheduled to attend the celebrations to be held in Bangladesh that will mark the 50th anniversary of the announcement of independence of Bangladesh before the crackdown by Pakistan military in the summer of 1971.
‘Mujib barsho’ celebrations
Noteworthy is that the deadly virus has disturbed much of the physical diplomatic interaction between India and Bangladesh since March when Ms. Hasina cancelled the centenary celebrations of “Mujib barsho”, which also led to the cancellation of Mr. Modi’s visit to Dhaka for attending the inaugural event.
Mr. Masud Bin Momen and Dr. Abdul Momen are among the most senior government figures who have tested COVID-19 positive in the last few months.
Sources in Bangladesh had said Ms. Hasina had conducted much of her official interactions on digital media for safeguarding her health. As a precautionary step, she held minimal diplomatic engagements personally this year. She met Mr Shringla for a special meeting during his August 18-19 visit to Dhaka.
