Are India and Bangladesh sidestepping Hasina’s exile to improve frayed ties?
A national security bilateral meeting and Narendra Modi’s message of support for Khaleda Zia signal that ties are on the mend
Bangladesh’s national security adviser recently made a low-profile visit to New Delhi for talks with his Indian counterpart, in what many in Dhaka saw as a sign that the neighbours might reset ties following months of tensions over the self-exile of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in India.
The meeting was the highest-level contact since Bangladesh’s interim government took office. But analysts say that the path to normalising relations remains uncertain, even if India is willing to work with whoever emerges victorious in Dhaka’s coming election.
Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman met his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval late last month, shortly after a Bangladeshi special tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for crimes against humanity. Dhaka continues to push for her extradition.
Hasina, who was ousted in August last year, is wanted by the interim administration over a deadly crackdown on student-led protests before her exit.
Her removal has upended a decade of close cooperation with Delhi under her Awami League, ushering in a more cautious approach by the interim leadership of Muhammad Yunus.
In what observers see as a gesture of goodwill, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a message on December 1 expressing concern for the health of ailing former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia and offering India’s support for her recovery.