Bangladesh unrest: Experts call for India's active role and leadership engagement

On being asked about New Delhi’s role to play in the current scenario, the assistant professor at JNU said: “India has to play a very active role, not sitting idle in the context of unfolding tragedy of subverting democracy in the neighborhood.

New Delhi: With Sheikh Hasina fleeing the country after handing over her resignation to the Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman on Monday, the country is now waiting for the formation of a new interim government.

Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has been appointed as the chief advisor of the interim government. Hours after her resignation, Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin held a crucial meeting with chiefs of Bangladesh armed forces and key opposition leaders and unanimously agreed to free former Bangladesh prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaled Zia immediately.

Besides, all other prisoners who were jailed in the ongoing movement have also been ordered to release.

Asianet Newsable spoke to an expert and assistant professor of Centre for International Politics, Organisation & Disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Sandip Kumar Singh, to understand what would be impact on India-Bangladesh relations amid ongoing political unrest in the country.  

“India-Bangladesh relations in absence of Shaikh Hasina will take almost a U-turn or may be a hostile neighbour like Pakistan,” he said.

“Under Hasina's leadership, the two neighbouring countries resolved a number of tough bilateral issues, amicably. With her ouster, it will not be the same,” Sandip Kumar Singh added.

On being asked about New Delhi’s role to play in the current scenario, the assistant professor at JNU said: “India has to play a very active role, not sitting idle in the context of unfolding tragedy of subverting democracy in the neighborhood. In the last 15 years, Bangladesh was slowly and gradually developing its economy, and Indian policy was one of the biggest support bases for this kind of development in the country.”

“India will face real security threats if anti-India forces get a foothold in Dhaka,” he added.

In January 2024, Hasina, sworn-in as the prime minister for the fifth term but she had to leave the country in a military aircraft for India. The 76-year-old is accompanied by her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana.

She is seeking political asylum in London and for that a negotiation is underway in the United Kingdom, where her niece and daughter of her sister is a Member of Parliament.

At Hindon air base, where she landed on Monday, met India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.  

“India is closely monitoring the internal disturbances in Bangladesh,” foreign minister S Jaishankar informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.