An interim government was formed in the country after the resignation of Sheikh Hasina in the anti-discrimination student movement on August 5. Dr. Muhammad Yunus got the responsibility as the chief adviser. However, since this government came to power, relations between India and Bangladesh started to deteriorate.
Hasina's stay in India remains a matter of concern and a recent interview of the chief adviser has surprised India. BBC's Anbarsan Ethirajan reviewed these issues and saw where exactly India-Bangladesh relations stand at the moment.
Sheikh Hasina was seen as pro-Indian because during her rule, there was a good relationship between the two countries in the last 15 years. Strategically and economically they were complementary to each other. Also during her rule she was vocal in suppressing the anti-Indian opposition in Bangladesh including settling some border disputes which was also helpful for India's security.
But there was no word on her asylum in India and how long she would stay there, straining the strong ties between the two countries.
In an interview to Indian news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) last week, Dr. Muhammad Yunus urged India to prevent Hasina from making any political statement while in Delhi.
In the interview, he said, "There is no speech sitting in India, Sheikh Hasina should remain silent until she is extradited to Bangladesh."
Dr. Yunus through this comment obviously referred to Sheikh Hasina's speech on August 13. At that time, Sheikh Hasina demanded 'justice' and said those involved in recent 'terrorist activities’; killings and vandalism must be investigated, identified and punished.
Hasina's statement caused outrage in Bangladesh and since then she (Hasina) has not made any public speech or statement.
Referring to the current low level of relations between the two countries, he also said in that interview that India-Bangladesh will work together to improve bilateral relations.
The Ministry of External Affairs of India has not yet officially commented on this statement of Professor Yunus. But the country's officials are said to be "upset".
An Indian official told the BBC on condition of anonymity, “India is waiting and watching the developments in Bangladesh. India is taking note of the official views coming from Dhaka and the views expressed by eminent persons."
Describing Dr. Yunus's diplomacy as "megaphone diplomacy", former Indian diplomats said that they are surprised by Yunus's "megaphone diplomacy". Through this, Dr. Yunus is trying to discuss controversial bilateral issues through the media.
"India has indicated its readiness to talk to the interim government and discuss all concerns of Bangladesh and India," said Veena Sikri, India's former High Commissioner to Dhaka.
The retired diplomat also said that there could be a calm discussion on the issues between the two countries. But it is not clear on what basis she commented that the bilateral relations are at a low level.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh rejected this criticism.
Criticism can be on any subject, Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Touhid Hossain told the BBC, " Do the Indian leaders talk to any media? If Dr. Yunus is asked about certain matters, he can certainly express his opinion. If you want to criticize, you can criticize anything”.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dr. Yunus had a phone conversation a few weeks ago, but no ministerial-level meeting has taken place so far.
There seems to be a broad consensus in India that Hasina can stay in India until another country agrees to allow her entry. However, Mohammad Tajul Islam, the newly appointed chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal for Bangladesh, said they were taking steps to extradite her for her alleged involvement in the killings during the protests.
Tajul Islam told reporters, "Since she has been made the prime accused of genocide in Bangladesh, we will try to legally bring her back to Bangladesh and face trial."
But experts said Bangladesh is unlikely to extradite Hasina even if it makes a formal request.
Riva Ganguli Das, the former High Commissioner who served in Dhaka said, "She is staying here as a guest of India. If we don't show basic courtesy to our long-time friends, why will anyone take us seriously as friends in the future."
In his interview, Dr. Yunus also criticized Delhi for not having any contact with the opposition parties in Bangladesh.
In the interview, he mentioned the good relations between Bangladesh and India and said that New Delhi must go beyond the idea where all other political parties except the Awami League are portrayed as Islamists and Bangladesh would turn into Afghanistan without Sheikh Hasina.
But Indian analysts disagree with this idea.
Veena Sikri said, “I do not agree with this statement at all. In Bangladesh, our High Commissioners talk to all political parties without giving any label.”
After Delhi accused Dhaka of harboring insurgents from India's northeastern states during the previous BNP-led coalition government from 2001 to 2006, relationships between two countries deteriorated. But the BNP has always denied this allegation.
However, many in Bangladesh have pointed out that India should approach the BNP, as they are confident of winning the elections whenever (next) elections are held.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, 'No Indian official has met us since August 5 (the fall of Hasina's government). I don't know the reason”.
On the contrary, the Ambassador of China and Ambassadors of European countries are having regular meetings with BNP in Dhaka.
After Hasina's fall, there have been allegations of attacks on religious minorities by Islamists, and India has already raised concerns about it several times.
In the past few weeks, several Sufi shrines, locally known as mazaars, have also been vandalized by extremists. Sunni Muslims are the majority in Bangladesh and hardliners consider shrines and tombs of revered figures un-Islamic.
"A few days ago a group of people came and vandalized my father-in-law's tomb and warned us not to perform any un-Islamic ceremony," said Tamanna Akhter, wife of the caretaker of Ali Khawaja Ali Pagla Pir's shrine in Sirajganj district.
AFM Khalid Hossain, adviser to the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Bangladesh, said action will be taken against those who target religious places. But experts said that if Islamist hardliners re-establish a strong presence, however small, in Bangladesh, it will set off alarm bells for Delhi.
A convicted Islamist militant has been released in the past few weeks. In addition, nine suspected militants escaped from jail last month — although four of them have been arrested.
On the other hand, Jasimuddin Rahmani, the head of Ansarullah Bangla team, also came out of jail last month. The organization was declared a terrorist organization by Hasina's government in 2016. In 2015, he was sentenced to five years in prison for murdering an atheist blogger.
He remained in jail after the expiry of his sentence due to other pending cases.
Former Indian High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das called it a "serious matter". He said, “Several militants have been freed in the last month. Some of them are known to India as well.”
Source: BBC
