By Satya Prakash Dash
The situation in Bangladesh has caused tension for South Asia, in general, and India, in particular. Bangladesh is one of the growing and prosperous nations in South Asia with a strong economy under the able leadership of PM Sheikh Hasina from January 2009 till her forced resignation on August 5, 2024. She was earlier the PM during June 1996 to July 2001. Her combined period of twenty years of serving as PM is itself a history in Bangladesh. Daughter of the founder of Bangladesh. Bangabandhu Mujibur Rahman, Hasina took asylum in India from August 1975 to 1981, when late Indira Gandhi was the PM of India and was staying in Delhi’s posh area in Pandara Road. Since then, Sheikh Hasina has developed a soft corner for India and was a dependable friend with all qualities of a good neighbour. India had resolved long standing border conflicts with Bangladesh during the premiership of Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina. The blossoming of the steady relationship between India and Bangladesh may have been an eyesore to some, and as it is alleged by her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy on the possibility of foreign influence to disrupt the environment of Bangladesh.
In an interview to Republic TV, Sajeeb Wazed said that the BNP and Jamaat were heavily funded by Pakistan’s ISI and there’s also the involvement of the deep state in US. It is an irony that the same Pakistan was charged of genocide of the Bengali Muslims in Bangladesh leading to independence and formation of Bangladesh in December 1971 and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became the founder President of Bangladesh. It was the same US that sent its naval fleet into the Bay of Bengal to counter Indian forces, but had to remain silent due to the presence of the erstwhile Soviet navy. After a period of half a century, the people compelled a democratically elected PM who had commendable contribution for the nation, and is a staunch nationalist, to flee for her life. . Such was the situation that she was given only forty-five minutes to leave her house as the huge student protest movement was approaching Ganabhawan, the residence of the PM. Her last desire to address the people of Bangladesh was also not possible as the students’ protest march was fast approaching. She had to leave immediately, after her son requested over telephone.
The type of vandalism that is shown on social media and TV clearly indicated that anti-social elements had taken over from the protest movement that was started initially by the students. No doubt the movement was targeted at the reservation issue that was withdrawn by the High Court, but how the reservation issue converted into the demand for ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina is a matter to contemplate. Involvement of foreign hands is a definite truth behind the unfurling of the situation. The way the statue of Bangabandhu was pulled down reflects a sad story of the process of nation-building started by this great leader. Late Indira Gandhi’s timely military action saved the people and its leader from Pakistan and for which Late Indira Gandhi was praised by none other than former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Muhammad Yunus, former Nobel Peace prize winner in 2006 for the Grameen Bank, and who is a coordinator of the students protest and is likely to lead the interim government in Bangladesh, had said in a recent interview to India TV that he sees the growth of SAARC in the context of South Asia. It is the same SAARC that is sidelined by the Narendra Modi government and replacing it with BIMSTEC. Interestingly, the latter does not include Pakistan and Maldives. Hence, this points to the fact as to how much anti-India feeling there is within the probable new government mechanism?
The BNP leader Khaleda Zia has been freed from house arrest by the President of Bangladesh. She along with Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist party Bangladesh, in all possibility will be included in the new interim government, with the exclusion of the Awami party of Sheikh Hasina. Repercussions to this may be felt to the north-east India that shares a border with Bangladesh. There is already the tension of illegal migration from Bangladesh through the porous border. The connectivity measures that India had initiated through the ports of Chittagong & Mongla in Bangladesh will be affected together with the rail movement for transportation of goods and people. India has three trains running to Bangladesh, 1) Bandhan Express (bi-weekly) from Khulna to Kolkata, 2) Maitree Express (5 days) from Dhaka to Kolkata, and 3) Mitali Express from Dhaka to New Jalpaiguri. The Siliguri corridor for surface transport is another potential area that may be under threat if China comes into the scene with increased influence on Nepal and Bangladesh. This possibility may not be eroded.
(The writer teaches at NEHU, Shillong)