India-Bangladesh ties have been frosty since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India after her removing in a student-led mass rebellion in August, however diplomatic tensions have soared in latest days after the 2 South Asian neighbours traded accusations of alleged ill-treatment of the Hindu minority.
The confrontation escalated after Bangladeshi authorities arrested Hindu religious leader Chinmoy Krishna Das final week on sedition prices, setting off protests throughout a number of locations in India. On Monday, a Bangladeshi mission in Agartala within the northeast Indian state of Tripura was attacked, eliciting a livid response from Dhaka.
A day later, Dhaka summoned the Indian envoy in Bangladesh after condemning the assault.
“This explicit act in Agartala stands in violation of the inviolability of diplomatic missions, because the Vienna Conference on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, asks for,” Bangladesh’s Ministry of International Affairs mentioned, calling on the Indian authorities to analyze the incident.
New Delhi mentioned the assault was “deeply regrettable”. Indian authorities have since arrested seven individuals and suspended three police officers in reference to the assault.
What’s behind the renewed tensions between the 2 neighbours?
The arrest of Das, the Hindu chief, appears to be the most recent set off, however tensions have simmered since Hasina was granted asylum by India. Bangladeshi opposition and activists maintain a grudge towards India for its help of Hasina’s 15-year rule, marked by a crackdown on dissent and human rights abuse.
Anti-India sentiments have elevated since August as Hasina has used her base in India to criticise the interim administration headed by Muhammad Yunus, a extremely revered economist and Nobel laureate.
On Wednesday, Hasina accused Yunus of being concerned in “genocide”, including gas to the diplomatic hearth.
“Right this moment, I’m being accused of genocide. In actuality, Yunus has been concerned in genocide in a meticulously designed method,” she mentioned in her first public handle since August.
Bangladesh’s demand for the extradition of the eliminated prime minister appears to be the largest diplomatic irritant between the 2 international locations. “We’ll search the return of the fallen autocrat Sheikh Hasina from India,” Yunus mentioned final month.
New Delhi’s vocal stand on minority rights has additional irked Dhaka.
Yunus has mentioned Bangladesh doesn’t discriminate between residents primarily based on their religion. In keeping with native media experiences, safety round Hindu temples and neighbourhoods has been elevated.
Minorities, significantly Hindus, who kind 10 % of the nation’s 170-million inhabitants, have borne the brunt of assaults since Hasina’s removing, as they had been related together with her Awami League get together. Hindus and different minorities now really feel susceptible as right-wing forces are on the rise.
In latest days, India has expressed concern at “the surge of extremist rhetoric, rising incidents of violence and provocation” towards minorities.
“Our place on the matter may be very clear – the interim authorities should dwell as much as its accountability of defending all minorities,” Ministry of Exterior Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal mentioned on Friday, referring to the case towards Das.
However Dhaka has as a substitute accused New Delhi of exaggerating the assaults. Chatting with Indian channel India Right this moment, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary of the Yunus authorities, mentioned Hindus had been extra protected now than they had been throughout Hasina’s authorities.
How will the assault on the Dhaka mission have an effect on relations?
Mubashar Hasan, a postdoctoral researcher on the College of Oslo in Norway, mentioned the assault on Dhaka’s mission in India will “clearly heighten tensions” between the 2 international locations.
“It has now utterly disrupted the secure relationship that each international locations loved below the earlier authorities and there will likely be lack of belief between the 2 neighbours. Whether or not this pressure may additionally affect commerce relations, we might want to wait and see,” he instructed Al Jazeera.
India and Bangladesh grew to become shut allies below Hasina, resulting in a lift in enterprise and safety ties. India-Bangladesh bilateral commerce was $14bn in 2023-24.
New Delhi’s envoy to Dhaka, Pranay Verma, met performing International Secretary Riaz Hamidullah on Tuesday and mentioned the connection between the 2 international locations couldn’t be primarily based on one agenda.
India “is all in favour of working with the Authorities of Bangladesh to fulfil our shared aspirations for peace, safety and improvement”, Verma was quoted as saying by The Hindu newspaper.
Anil Trigunayat, a former Indian diplomat who has additionally served in Bangladesh, regretted the assault on Dhaka’s mission.
“Relations [between Indian and Bangladesh] will enhance in time when mob mentality subsides,” he instructed Al Jazeera.
Trigunayat added that India will proceed with its Neighbourhood First Coverage – New Delhi’s strategy in direction of its South Asian neighbours.
“India additionally must have a greater communication technique and public diplomacy. A doable go to by Indian international secretary will search to deal with a number of the bilateral points,” he added.
Can India-Bangladesh ties return to the heat of the previous?
Sure, in case you imagine the interim chief Yunus.
“Relations between the 2 international locations should be very shut,” the interim chief was quoted as saying by the Bangladeshi every day Prothom Alo on Tuesday.
“That is important from any angle, whether or not it’s about economics, safety or water.
“Simply as we want them in our curiosity, they want us of their curiosity. So, we have now to neglect sure transient issues … The primary factor is to take care of good relations. We have now to make use of every part in our energy to advance in direction of that,” he mentioned.
Dhaka and New Delhi share shut cultural, commerce and geographical ties, and mutual cooperation is essential in managing their 4,000-km (2,485-mile) border.
However Ali Riaz, a professor at Illinois State College within the US, says India’s “heat welcome” to Hasina was “unprecedented”.
“Since 2009 India has supplied unqualified help to Sheikh Hasina regime, which grew to become autocratic by the day, created an unequal relationship in favour of India, remained instrumental in Bangladesh’s home politics and have become the protect to the autocratic regime towards any worldwide criticisms,” he mentioned.
Nevertheless, Indian diplomat Trigunayat says “there was an inaccurate narrative that has been constructed towards India, accusing it of being supportive of Hasina.
“India has supplied large non-reciprocal help to Bangladesh for the advantage of the widespread Bangladeshi individuals … Right this moment it’s modern to make India a punching bag wherein exterior powers are additionally including gas by the day,” he added with out elaborating who the exterior powers are.
Talking at a convention final month, India’s envoy Verma mentioned relations between the 2 international locations are “multifaceted” amid “sustained and optimistic momentum” in commerce and financial ties and “people-to-people engagements”.
In keeping with Riaz, “the ball is in India’s court docket” to enhance relations.
“It’s crucial that Indian authorities sends a transparent message that it’s prepared and keen to make a shift in its coverage and work with the present authorities and the individuals of Bangladesh … In addition to, it is necessary that Indian authorities ensures that its land is just not being utilized by Hasina or anybody else for creating instability and violence inside Bangladesh,” he added.
Can international actors play a task?
The latest non secular tensions have drawn a response from a number of Western leaders, together with in the UK and United States.
On Tuesday, the Press Belief of India reported that US Congressman Brad Sherman requested Yunus’s authorities to guard Hindu minorities.
An identical concern has additionally been shared by diplomats within the UK and European Union.
Shairee Malhotra, deputy director and Europe fellow on the Observer Analysis Basis in New Delhi mentioned policymakers in Europe are additionally involved concerning the present instability however that India would like the bilateral path to resolving tensions.
“Maybe the place the EU can play a task going ahead is in strengthening Bangladesh’s democratic governance buildings, which might contribute to political stability inside Bangladesh, and in flip extra secure relations with India,” she instructed Al Jazeera.
Michael Kugelman, South Asia Institute director at The Wilson Centre, a Washington, DC-based assume tank, instructed Al Jazeera that with a number of conflicts and crises raging the world over, and with the US authorities in transition mode, there’s unlikely to be a lot third-party involvement.
“India and Bangladesh might want to work this out on their very own. The nice factor is that regardless of the tensions, the 2 sides have saved communication channels open and continued to speak. It’s a strained relationship however not a hostile one,” he mentioned.