Guwahati, May 1: The Government of Bangladesh has summoned acting Indian High Commissioner Pawan Badhe to formally protest remarks allegedly made by Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the repatriation of suspected illegal immigrants from Assam.
According to reports, the acting envoy was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on the afternoon of April 30, where Bangladeshi officials conveyed concern over the comments and emphasised the need for restraint on issues that could affect bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh.
The diplomatic move follows a statement made by the Assam Chief Minister on April 26, in which he said that 20 foreign nationals had been apprehended in the state and “pushed back to Bangladesh.” In a post on social media platform X, Sarma also remarked, “Rude people don’t understand soft language,” while referring to action against alleged infiltrators.
Bangladesh has reportedly described such public statements as “counterproductive” and cautioned that sensitive bilateral matters should be addressed with care to maintain the cooperative relationship shared by the two neighbouring nations.
The development comes at a time when diplomatic engagement between India and Bangladesh continues across sectors such as trade, connectivity and regional cooperation, even as evolving political dynamics in Dhaka shape the broader bilateral context.
