Bangladesh is at a crossroad as its former Prime Minister and Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina was threatened by the Islamists to relinquish her post and flee the country. “India will have to be extremely vigilant and take additional security measures along the border to prevent infiltration which could provide a cover for terrorists and religious extremists to enter India for terrorist attacks,” said Ambassador Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, former Secretary and former High Commissioner to Bangladesh, in an exclusive interview to Organiser’s Ravi Mishra. Excerpt:
Our neighbouring Bangladesh has gone out of control due to the so-called students protest supported by Islamist organisation Jamaat and Begum Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party. As a result, Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina had to abruptly relinquish her Prime Ministerial post and leave the country. How do you see this dramatic event?
Indeed, it was an unexpected and dramatic event that led to a regime change in Bangladesh. India did not anticipate that such an event would happen so suddenly. This will impact on bilateral and regional ties and also on India’s “Neighbourhood First Policy” and “Act East Policy”. For Bangladesh it will usher in a period of political uncertainty, economic distress and social turmoil.
Do you think this unexpected toppling of legitimate Government would impact Bharat-Bangladesh relations as Sheikh Hasina was seen as a close ally of Bharat?
There will be an immediate impact on bilateral ties because of the way the Government in Bangladesh has changed. However, I believe India will be willing to work with the new Government to stabilise bilateral ties and take it forward.
Everything was going smoothly in Bangladesh after the post-election results were announced. What was the reason that the situation deteriorated to such an extent that there was an undemocratic regime change? Analysts are saying that this started when Sheikh Hasina said that a foreign country was trying to destabilise her country. Was it the US that wanted to get rid of Sheikh Hasina from power? How do you see the role of Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI in it?
There has been speculation about a foreign conspiracy which has taken advantage of the turmoil in Bangladesh. Hasina’s statements indicate that there were foreign countries working for the removal of Hasina from power. The US has been mentioned as one of foreign powers which may have worked in tandem with Pakistan.
What would the US get by destabilising Bangladesh because it would only help China and Pakistan?
Hasina’s relationship with both the US and Pakistan was never friendly for historical reasons. The US may have wanted Hasina to provide military facilities which she refused. The US may have also felt that Hasina was moving closer to China which the US now considers its primary geopolitical rival. Hasina’s relationship with Pakistan was always turbulent for historical reasons that began with the 1971 Liberation War and the assassination of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and all her family members, except her and her sister.
How do you see the security situation along the Bharat-Bangladesh border as Islamist organisation Jamaat-e-Islami would now get a free hand to target Bharat?
Bharat will now have to be extremely vigilant and take additional security measures along the border to prevent infiltration, which could provide a cover for terrorists and religious extremists to enter our country to perpetrate terrorist attacks.
There has been systematic targeting of Hindus during these protests. Hindu Mandirs are also the prime target of Islamists. Don’t you think the future of Hindus in Bangladesh hangs in balance?
Hindus have always suffered whenever there is political turmoil in Bangladesh. The Partition and its communal legacy continue to motivate religious extremists like the Islamists to perpetrate violence, apart from consolidating material issues like grabbing Hindu property. Bangladesh’s Hindu population has steadily declined since the country became independent because they have lived in an atmosphere of insecurity.
What is the future of Sheikh Hasina and her party Awami League?
Hasina’s political career is now uncertain but it would be premature to say that it is over. The Awami League, however, is a grassroots party which spearheaded the independence movement. It is the largest political party in Bangladesh and cannot be wiped out. In any future election, it will certainly participate and ensure that it remains a stakeholder in the political discourse of the country.
