Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today said any change of government in an Indian state or internal administrative decisions, including the construction of barbed wire fences, are India’s internal matters.

He made the remarks while replying to journalists’ questions at the Secretariat after a meeting on improving the living standards of salt farmers, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, according to a press release issued by the ministry.

Salahuddin's comments came after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari today said the process of transferring land for India's Border Security Force (BSF) would begin immediately.

Responding to questions about the post-election situation in West Bengal and tensions along the border, the home minister said the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) remains on maximum alert.

He said Bangladesh maintains diplomatic relations with the central government of India on the basis of sovereign equality, and any political change in a particular Indian state does not affect Bangladesh’s foreign policy or bilateral relations.

Referring to information circulating on social media about repression of Muslims following the West Bengal elections and their possible impact on Bangladesh, Salahuddin said old and misleading videos were being used in many cases to spread propaganda.

He said neither the Ministry of Home Affairs nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far received any verified information regarding the authenticity of such incidents or any adverse impact on Bangladesh.

He urged people not to be misled by such propaganda.

On the salt sector, the home minister said the government has taken initiatives to determine a fair price for salt in line with production costs to achieve self-sufficiency and protect the interests of local farmers.

Speaking after the meeting, he said the Ministry of Agriculture is reviewing salt production costs to ensure farmers receive fair prices for their labour.

He said the justification for salt imports is also being assessed by evaluating domestic demand for both industrial and edible salt.

According to the minister, decisions will be taken in line with the prime minister’s directives after accurate data is collected so that the country can achieve self-sufficiency in salt production while ensuring farmers do not incur losses.