BANGLADESH and India appear keen on resetting their ties to mutual advantage and for forging regional political stability. The discussions that Bangladesh’s foreign minister Khalilur Rahman held with external affairs minister S Jaishankar and others this week reinforced the resolve of both sides to move forward with a high sense of optimism. India created the necessary conditions for a new push in bilateral relations by promising Bangladesh with supplies of oil and fertilizers, a scarcity of which is felt in this geographical region due mainly to the Iran war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz through which these passed to Asia and elsewhere. Notably, the reset in bilateral ties has been made possible by a change of government in Dhaka, where the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus stepped aside and an elected government led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s Tarique Rahman took charge in February. The interim government, from its outset, was keeping a distance with India. One of the first proclamations of PM Rahman was that Bangladesh’s foreign policy would henceforth be guided by his nation’s own interests; and not by pressure from external forces. His reference was obviously in the backdrop of the attempts by external agencies to influence policies there.
Significantly, during the talks between Khalilur Rahman and Indian leaders in Delhi this time, the Bangladesh side reiterated a call for extradition of exiled former PM Sheikh Hasina and her aides, who were given sanctuary by India after the August 2024 fall of her government. While the present Bangladesh leadership is duty-bound to seek her extradition in view of the court cases, and being mindful of the demand from a section of the people there, it is mutually agreed that this issue can wait while other matters are sorted out between the two sovereign nations. Sheikh Hasina having remained a close ally of India all through her governance period, India cannot budge to pressure for her extradition. While her political rivals are handling power there now, it’s appreciable that a sense of realism guides Bangladesh in this respect. The historic ties between Hasina’s family and the Indian leadership date back to the early 1970s when what was East Pakistan declared itself as a new nation with substantive backing from India.
After the elections, Bangladesh’s new government is working on multiple fronts to further empower the nation. The new prime minister is showing a positive frame of mind. He’s restrained in his responses to BNP’s political rivals, the Awami League. The minority Hindus there are also feeling secure again. With Pakistan on one side and China on the other bent on muddying the waters in Bangladesh, attempts were on, on their part, to wean Dhaka away from its long-established ties with India. The presence of a sane leadership there now is to India’s gain as well. Issues like water sharing need to be addressed with a sense of realism and mutual trust. The central government is taking the right stands in these respects, as is also evident from the warm reception that Khalilur Rahman got in New Delhi.
