Dhaka, Feb. 16 -- Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, filmmaker and cultural affairs advisor to the interim government, says India-Bangladesh relations have reached their "lowest point" and recovery is possible only through "honest introspection" and mutual respect.

In an exclusive interview with the Indian magazine The Week released online on Feb 15, he provided a detailed look at the current diplomatic and cultural landscape, according to the state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

Farooki said rebuilding regional trust requires respect for Bangladesh's internal political choices and honest reflection on shared history, it added.

The advisor described the July Uprising as a "cultural event" where long-ignored fault lines finally...