Bangladesh "should not normalise terrorism," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Touhid Hossain, the foreign affairs adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh, at a recent meeting in Muscat, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. Last week, the two Ministers met in the Omani capital for the 8th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC).

Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the MEA, was asked if SAARC was discussed at the talks between the two ministers in Muscat during his weekly media conference. "Yes, the matter was brought up by the Bangladesh side when our EAM met their foreign advisor in Muscat. Everyone in South Asia is aware as to which country and what activities are responsible for stymieing SAARC. The EAM conveyed that Bangladesh should not normalise terrorism," he remarked.

During a 2024 interactive session at a think-tank meeting, Jaishankar stated that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was in trouble given that one of its members had been actively supporting terrorism. He did not name any specific countries. The countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka make up the SAARC regional bloc. 

Last year, massive student-led protests in Bangladesh led to the downfall of the previous government, led by Sheikh Hasina. She fled to India on August 5, leaving the country in political chaos. Currently, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, along with his team of advisors, is leading the nation. Responding to a question at the briefing, Jaiswal stated, "Regarding your second question about comments being made by certain advisors and what sort of impact will they have on our dealings -- yes, obviously we have taken note of such remarks, which are of course not helpful. It is for concerned individuals to reflect on the implications for their particular domains." 

Following the meeting, Jaishankar wrote an X post on February 16 that omitted any reference to SAARC. "Met Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain of the Interim Government of Bangladesh. The conversation was focused on our bilateral relationship, as also on BIMSTEC," he wrote. Following their meeting in Muscat last week, the foreign ministry of Bangladesh released a statement stating that "Hossain sought to initiate discussions for the renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty signed in 1996 and emphasised the need for convening the SAARC standing committee meeting and requested New Delhi's support on the matter." "Both sides recognised the challenges the two neighbours are facing in terms of bilateral relations and discussed the necessity to work together to address those," it added. Bangladesh and India share over 4,000-km-long international border.