‘End of Sheikh Hasina era’ concern for Delhi
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 5
As former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina landed at the Hindon airbase this evening, New Delhi began its scramble to assess the implication of the end of the Hasina era and the many possibilities of how things would now unfold. At worst, India may be edged out by the political vacuum created by Hasina’s departure, which is likely to be filled — at least temporarily — by the pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami and the Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which boycotted the poll this January when Hasina returned to power for the fifth time.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval called on Hasina at Hindon to understand why she had to flee at such a short notice. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar briefed PM Modi. India knows the implications of the BNP and the Jamaat joining hands to form a government with the tacit support of the army. “India-Bangladesh friendly ties under Hasina are not expected to carry on,” an official in the security establishment told The Tribune on condition of anonymity. Hasina had visited India twice since PM Narendra Modi took over on June 8.
New Delhi fears that as a result Bangladesh can turn into a hostile territory. This could have fearsome repercussions for India’s fragile North-East, prone to insurgencies, as is taking place in Manipur at present. The last time the BNP was in power in Bangladesh from 2001-2006, several rebel groups from Assam, which shares a large border with Bangladesh, had taken refuge there.
In the past four weeks, Islamists in Bangladesh have attacked Hindu temples. Today, the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, inaugurated in March 2010, was attacked in Dhaka. In the past 10 years, India has pumped in Rs 25,000 crore in infrastructure projects in Bangladesh.
According to former Foreign Secretary and former High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Shringla, the possible involvement of “ foreign powers” inimical to Bangladesh’s interests as well as to India’s, could not be ruled out.
A second former Foreign Secretary, Nirupama Menon Rao, posted on X, “We must weigh our reactions and policy moves with caution and (with) a capacity to think on our feet with agility, a clear focus and foresight. We cannot afford any misstep. There are strategic dilemmas involved here”.
Security officials say a possible encirclement of India is likely, pointing out that the student protests had started when Hasina was on a visit to China. Beijing has for long being wooing Dhaka to edge out India. “There is Chinese influence on student bodies and the military while its ally Pakistan has influence among the Islamists,” security agencies here said.
But Deb Mukharji, a former High Commissioner to Bangladesh, advised caution, “It is very difficult to guess what will happen. We don’t know what will be the new government’s focus. We will have to observe before taking any step.”
In retrospect, the crisis has been brewing for months. As elections approached in January in Bangladesh, Washington imposed sanctions on members of Hasina’s party, hoping that a coalition government with the BNP and the radical Jamaat would be formed.
Hasina accused the US of attempting to create a “Christian state” from regions of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. Additionally, the US seeks port access to establish a foothold in the area. Though the US had denied it, reports from Bangladesh suggest the most powerful military sought an island near Chittagong to set up a base, possibly to counter China.
Indira centre, 4 temples targeted
The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre was vandalised by an unruly mob in Dhaka and four Hindu temples suffered “minor” damage across Bangladesh on Monday.
