DHAKA, Bangladesh — On Monday, high-level discussions took place between the foreign secretaries of Bangladesh and India in the capital of Bangladesh, focusing on the intricate relationships between the neighboring nations. The backdrop of these talks includes rising tensions following the departure of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who sought asylum in India in August.

The tensions have been exacerbated by the arrest of a Hindu spiritual leader under the leadership of interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate. The dialogue was expected to address the recent allegations of assaults on minority Hindus in Bangladesh and an attack on a Bangladeshi diplomatic office situated in India. After Hasina’s removal from power, India shifted its visa policy, restricting issuance to Bangladeshis except for emergency medical circumstances.

The discussions were led by Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misra and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Mohammad Jashim Uddin, marking the first significant visit by an Indian official since the protests that culminated in the end of Hasina’s 15-year governance.

India, which has historically been a close ally of Hasina, has expressed apprehensions regarding the incidents of violence against religious minorities, notably Hindus, in the predominantly Muslim country of Bangladesh. Many Bangladeshi Hindus are believed to support Hasina’s secular political party, the Awami League, which has traditionally championed the rights of minorities.

Recent events include an attack on a Bangladeshi diplomatic facility in Agartala, the capital of Tripura, conducted by Hindus who were reacting to the arrest of Chinmoy Das Prabhu, a leader advocating for enhanced security for the Hindu populace in Bangladesh. Additionally, protests in Kolkata saw demonstrators burning Bangladeshi flags, further escalating tensions and prompting reactions from Yunus’s government.

Political factions, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is led by Hasina’s adversary Khaleda Zia, alongside several Islamist groups, have voiced their concerns regarding the violence in Tripura. Moreover, Hindu communities in India have also demonstrated against the purported mistreatment of Hindus in Bangladesh and the detention of Prabhu.

Before returning to New Delhi later on Monday, Misra is scheduled to pay official visits to Yunus and Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain.