The country’s media and former diplomats are going through a kind of turmoil over Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s invitation to visit India. The head of government of an independent and sovereign state has the complete authority to decide when to visit a country. Judging by the propaganda in the Indian media, it seems that the Prime Minister of Bangladesh should have rushed to that country as soon as the invitation was extended. As we saw during the visits of the fallen dictator Sheikh Hasina to India.
During Sheikh Hasina’s decade and a half of rule, India has been trying to establish a kind of dominance over Bangladesh—this was not an obscure matter to the people of this country. India’s strong support was for the deprivation and oppression of all kinds of rights of the people of Bangladesh. In exchange for supporting a government without public support, Delhi has acquired all kinds of commercial and strategic interests. At that time, Bangladesh as a state had lost its independent identity. Sheikh Hasina’s Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen compared the relationship between the two countries to that of a husband and wife. As if there was no relationship of interest between the two countries. Bangladesh has only fulfilled what India has asked for. Sheikh Hasina herself said, ‘What I have given to India, it will remember forever.’
The reality is that Bangladesh did not have an independent foreign policy at that time. The Foreign Ministry in Dhaka had become just an extension of Delhi’s South Block. On the other hand, the Awami League as a political party not only became isolated from the people, but also became a party completely dependent on India. Before the one-sided elections without voters in January 2024, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, without any reservations, said at a public meeting in Savar in November 2023, ‘Delhi has it, we have it.’ In other words, the support of Delhi, not the support of the people, was the only guarantee for them to remain in power.
Six months after the renewal of power with India’s support, India’s dominance ended with the fall and flight of Sheikh Hasina in a popular uprising in August 2024. After the formation of an interim government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, India faced a new reality. Bangladesh, breaking away from Hasina’s servile policy, began to pursue an independent foreign policy. From the way Bangladesh had been turned into a client state for a decade and a half, it began to shape its foreign policy with self-respect.
Even more than the fall of Hasina, Bangladesh’s independent foreign policy was the biggest blow to Delhi. For this reason, India not only hindered normal relations with the interim government, but Indian media, think tanks and former diplomats have continued their despicable attempts to assassinate Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Even more than the fugitive Awami League leaders, the faces of the Indian media were extremely hostile towards Dr. Yunus. The media and think tanks, known as India’s soft power within the country, were once full of praise for Dr. Yunus, but he became a target of attack due to his India policy. Dr. Yunus is still the main target of these media.
India had hoped that after the departure of Dr. Yunus’ interim government, the elected government would slowly but surely serve as a tool for India’s interests. But India’s political leadership failed to understand one thing – the popular uprising had not only changed the political thinking of the people of this country, but had also brought back the self-respect of running the state independently. Any attempt to divert the people of Bangladesh from the principle of independent governance could have dire consequences for the political parties. The hegemonists in Delhi will never understand this mentality of the people of Bangladesh.
Hindutva leaders in India thought that if Tarique Rahman was invited to visit Delhi like Hasina, he would probably leave for Delhi without any questions. That is why he was invited as the chairman of a regional organization controlled by India like BIMSTEC. At the same time, a press conference was organized with the fugitive Hasina as part of creating pressure to increase political influence in Bangladesh. Hasina participated in this press conference as part of the Indian government’s plan. That the Awami League is a political party completely run by India is clear from the activities and activities of the party’s leaders and activists in that country.
In response to a convicted criminal conducting political activities on Indian soil, Bangladesh has clearly stated that a favorable environment is needed for a visit to Delhi. At the same time, the return of convicted criminals for crimes against humanity who are absconding in India, including Sheikh Hasina, has been demanded. Bangladesh is now waiting for Delhi’s response. The State Minister for Foreign Affairs has clearly stated that there is no rush for the Prime Minister to visit Delhi. He will visit India if a favorable environment is created.
Since then, we see that the Indian media and former diplomats have been engaged in anti-Bangladesh propaganda. They have been joined by Awami League propagandists in the country. They say that the Bangladeshi Prime Minister should have visited Delhi as soon as he received an invitation. Like Hasina used to do. India has been insulted by saying that he will visit at a convenient time for Bangladesh. Modi will not be seen again in the next year. On the other hand, the Indians are fearing that if India stops the supply of diesel and electricity, what will happen to Bangladesh?
They have forgotten that India does not give anything to Bangladesh for free. Every product has to be purchased. The diesel that Bangladesh buys from India is less than one-tenth of its total demand. Bangladesh buys diesel from many other countries. On the other hand, there is anger among the people of this country over buying electricity from India. The main reason for the disaster that has arisen in the electricity sector today is due to buying electricity at excessive prices including capacity charges. The agreement to buy electricity with Adani was made as part of bribing the Modi government. In addition, the equipment of the power plant that India built in Palatana in Tripura was taken to fill the Titas River in Bangladesh and build a road. These equipment were taken to India duty-free through Ashuganj port.
A new issue has emerged in the anti-Bangladesh campaign in the Indian media regarding the possibility of Bangladesh joining the trilateral Mecca defense pact. Indian security analysts and the media have been deprived of sleep over this. No discussion has yet begun on whether Bangladesh will join the new defense pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Bangladesh has not even been formally invited. The Saudi Crown Prince has invited the Prime Minister to visit Riyadh. In an interview with the state news agency regarding joining the defense alliance, Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir said that the current government is maintaining a balanced foreign policy in the international arena by keeping the ‘Bangladesh First’ policy in mind. Bangladesh is in a positive position regarding joining a potential economic or defense framework formed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey in order to maintain the global economy and trade, considering its own interests.
Bangladesh must prioritize its own interests when entering into relations with any country or joining an alliance. Bangladesh’s foreign policy cannot be based on the relationship it has with India. If Bangladesh’s defense capabilities increase and it benefits economically by joining a trilateral alliance, then Bangladesh should definitely join. Delhi should not expect that Bangladesh will not be able to join an alliance formed by these countries because Pakistan or Turkey have bad relations with India. By making a cooperative organization like SAARC ineffective, India has proven that India does not have the qualifications to lead any regional alliance. India’s foreign policy is driven by petty interests. India does not have the liberal policy that is required for forming and leading any alliance. The fact that India abandoned its long-time ally Iran in the Middle East conflict and supported Israel proves how unreliable the country is to its allies.
The anti-Bangladesh uproar in Delhi over the visit of the Bangladeshi Prime Minister is basically the pain of losing the dominance established during the Sheikh Hasina era. Not only did Hasina fall on August 5, 2024, but Delhi’s dominance over Bangladesh also fell. Now India will try to restore the old status quo by putting pressure on Tarique Rahman’s government in various ways. The people of Bangladesh will not easily back down from the self-respect that they have regained through an independent foreign policy. Tarique Rahman’s government seems to have that understanding.
