Indian authorities confirm Modi-Biden discussion on Bangladesh

• India clarifies that Bangladesh's situation was “substantially” discussed in the Modi-Biden call
• MEA spokesperson dismisses reports suggesting the issue was not mentioned as "uninformed"
• Press releases from both sides are not meant to be comprehensive readouts of such conversations

India on Friday clarified that the situation in Bangladesh was “substantially” discussed during a recent phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, countering reports that noted the absence of any mention of Bangladesh in the US readout.

The phone call, which took place on August 26, garnered attention when the US readout made no reference to the situation in Bangladesh. However, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized that both leaders expressed their "shared concern" regarding the situation in Bangladesh, particularly focusing on the need to restore law and order and ensure the safety of minorities, including Hindus.

When questioned about the discrepancy, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “The subject of Bangladesh, which has been highlighted by certain quarters, was very much discussed substantially by both the leaders.” He further criticized claims that the issue was not addressed during the call as "uninformed, tendentious, and motivated."

Jaiswal explained that press releases following such high-level conversations are not intended to be exhaustive summaries but are rather selective in what they highlight. “It is not unusual for two sides to emphasize different aspects of the same conversation in their respective readouts,” he added, affirming that the Indian press release was an accurate reflection of the discussion.