Indian diplomat's faux pas whipsup uproar
Some Indian diplomats posted in Bangladesh appeared to be making a habit to make sarcastic remarks against Bangladeshis and chastise them for making any complaints. The immediate past Indian High Commissioner Pinak R Chakraborty made quite a name for himself for occasionally making provocative, albeit undiplomatic, remarks.
Now that he has gone, the present Chittagong-based Assistant Indian High Commissioner A K Goswami has made a successful attempt to fill the void last week. It took place at a formal meeting of the businessmen at the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) in presence of visiting Northeast Indian business delegation led by ministers of Assam and Tripura.
The Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has requested the Indian government to withdraw Assistant High Commissioner A K Goshwami from Bangladesh for his undiplomatic comment in a formal meeting in the port city last week.
In a written complaint, M A Latif MP, President of the CCCI, also communicated their anger to the Indian foreign minister S M Krishna against the objectionable comment concerning Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, with copies sent to the secretary of the ministry, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh and the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister.
The situation arose on February 27, when ministers from India's north-eastern states were holding a meeting on trade and investment in the CCCI auditorium in Chittagong. The meeting was aimed at enhancing regional cooperation, bilateral trade relations and investments.
In the meeting, Chittagong businessmen asked the Indian officials to ease the visa formalities and said how they could help promote bilateral business when they face such hurdles in getting business visa to travel to India. As most of the businessmen's complaint on the issue, AK Goshwami, Assistant High Commissioner of India, could not hold his temper while addressing the business leaders. He made an audacious comment likening the way the speakers spoke in the meeting to that of Sheikh Mujib.
"Everyone should not shout like Bangabandhu," he said to criticise the way the Chittagong businessmen spoke while complaining about delay and harassments in getting Indian visas. Bangladeshi business leaders instantly protested the objectionable utterance by the Indian AHC posted in Chittagong and asked him to stop.
Sensing discontents among the business leaders, M.P. Bordoloi, Minister for Trade and Commerce of Assam state, expressed his regret and apologised to the audience over the comment of the AHC, and thus assuaged their anger.
Jitendra Chowdhury, Trade and Commerce Minister of Tripura, senior government officials and business leaders from Assam and Tripura including M L Devnath, President of Tripura Chamber of Commerce were present in the meeting.
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