Power play: Why Bangladesh can push India at its own peril
Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India, is awash with anti-India sentiment. That's because Hasina, who has been friendly with India, has taken shelter in India and an Islamist opposition including the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Jamaat-e-Islami feel empowered after Hasina's ouster.
In fact, the BNP, which used to provide launch pads to anti-India terrorists during its rule, had started an «India Out» campaign months before Hasina's ouster. The BNP was understood to have taken a cue from Maldives ruling party that launched the “India-Out” campaign to win presidential polls last year. While Maldives President Md Muizzu’s “India Out” campaign was allegedly backed by China, the BNP is seen to be backed by Pakistan and many Western countries.
While the interim government has said it will cooperate with India, anti-India sentiment has only increased along with attacks on the Hindu minority. Recently, one of the advisers to the interim govt, Mohammad Nahid Islam, blamed India for floods in Bangladesh. Islam alleged that flooding of districts on the eastern borders of Bangladesh had been caused by the opening of Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti river in Tripura. India refuted his allegations.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that it's crucial to start a new chapter in the Indo-Bangla ties, which should begin with the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as her continued presence in India could further damage bilateral relations.
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