Web Desk: A diplomatic confrontation between India and Pakistan over the disputed Kashmir region unfolded not along their contested border, but inside a seminar hall in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, highlighting the enduring tensions between the two South Asian rivals.
The exchange took place during a seminar titled “Rebuilding Trust, Renewing Regional Integration: Pathways for Revitalizing SAARC”, organized by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS).
During the event, Ambassador Tariq A Karim, advisor to the Center for Bay of Bengal Studies at Independent University, Bangladesh, and a distinguished visiting research fellow at the Institute of South Asia Studies at the National University of Singapore, was delivering the keynote address when he displayed a map of South Asia.
The presentation immediately drew an objection from Pooja Kumari Jha, the Second Secretary for Political and Information at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, who was attending the seminar.
Jha said the map did not accurately represent India’s position and emphasised that New Delhi considers Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India.
“The map of India shown here is not correct. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India,” she said, according to remarks reported from the event.
Karim responded that the map was included only as a presentation tool and was not intended to depict official borders or territorial claims.
Jha acknowledged the explanation but maintained that India’s position needed to be recorded, saying the region had been represented incorrectly from New Delhi’s perspective.
Karim then asked Jha to identify herself. She introduced herself as Pooja Kumari Jha, Second Secretary at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
Following her introduction, Karim said the objection had been formally noted.
Soon afterward, Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Mohammad Wasif, indicated that Pakistan also wanted to make a statement on the issue.
However, Karim deferred the matter, saying it could be discussed after the seminar concluded. No further exchange took place after the event, and Jha left before the proceedings ended.
After the seminar, Pakistan’s deputy envoy commented on the incident, arguing that the exchange reflected broader disagreements affecting regional cooperation.
He said disputes between India and its neighbors had contributed to the lack of progress by regional organisations, including the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
The Kashmir dispute remains the central issue between India and Pakistan, with both countries claiming the entire territory.
Currently, Kashmir is divided between Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir. The conflict has contributed to three major wars between the two countries in 1947, 1965 and 1999, while tensions over the Siachen Glacier have continued since 1984.
The incident created an uneasy atmosphere among seminar participants, with attendees offering differing views on the diplomatic exchange.
Some participants said the Indian diplomat had the right to raise concerns but argued that the objection should have been presented after the keynote address rather than interrupting the speaker.
Others questioned the decision to invite Tariq A Karim as the keynote speaker, citing his previous diplomatic role and association with the government of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Tariq A Karim served as Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India after the Awami League government came to power in 2009. He was appointed to the position on a contractual basis with the status of a state minister.
His diplomatic career also faced criticism in 2010 after a Bangladesh High Commission publication issued during Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi included the phrase “Jai Hind” at the end of his official message.
The wording drew controversy at the time, with critics questioning the appropriateness of the expression in an official Bangladeshi diplomatic publication.
The Dhaka seminar incident once again demonstrated how the Kashmir dispute continues to shape diplomatic interactions across South Asia, even in forums designed to promote dialogue, cooperation and regional integration.
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