Explained: How Sheikh Hasina’s resignation will impacts India-Bangladesh ties
Sheikh Hasina's resignation as Prime Minister and departure from Bangladesh created multiple uncertainties for India. For over one-and-a-half decade she was New Delhi’s strongest ally, and during this time, India-Bangladesh relations reached new heights.
The bilateral ties flourished with advances in cross-border trade, transit arrangements, security collaboration, and people-to-people exchanges. However, Hasina’s ouster casts doubt on these achievements.
The protests that led to her departure also carried an anti-India sentiment, given the close association perceived between Hasina and New Delhi.
Given this context, here are five challenges India could face in its Bangladesh policy in the near future:
Unclear nature of interim govt:
Meet Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman who just took over after Sheikh Hasina's flight
Bangladesh army chief Waker-uz-Zaman has taken charge, and so far he has made the right noises in proposing an interim govt with buy-in from all political parties in Bangladesh. But the nature of this interim govt remains unclear as yet. Nor is there a time-table for fresh elections. This will keep New Delhi guessing. The interim govt in Dhaka will naturally have a big impact on Bangladesh’s future political direction, which in turn will impact ties with India. New Delhi needs to move fast to build bridges with the incoming regime.
India's strong support for Hasina:
New Delhi's strong support for Hasina over the past decade led to minimal interaction with Bangladeshi opposition
