By Deepak Joshi Pokhrel

The South Asian countries and their politics have always hogged the attention of the international community for a long time. The politics in the region are the most unpredictable, with frequent changes of government even on the slightest pretext. The bilateral relationship among these countries is equally understandable as they resort to the blame game for every internal problem with their immediate neighbors. The latest relationship between India—the largest democracy—and Bangladeshi is a case in point.

Just recently, the Sheikh Hasina-led government announced a quota system that reserved 30 percent of government jobs for relatives of families who fought in the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971. Immediately, the country witnessed a massive protest by the students vandalizing property worth thousands. The agitation took a nasty shape, forcing Sheikh Hasina to flee the country and take shelter in the neighboring country, India. With this, there was a political void in the country.

Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was appointed as the transitional leader of the interim government on August 7, 2024, by President Mohammed Shahabudin. A day later, he took the oath of office and has been serving as the chief advisor of the Bangladesh interim government.

Historically, Bangladesh has remained pro-India under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina and was seen as a strong supporter of minority groups, including Hindus in Bangladesh. The bilateral relationship between the two countries was navigating very smoothly under her leadership. But now both countries are spitting venom against each other.

This is not to say that the relationship between New Delhi and Dhaka started to sour soon after the Nobel laureate, Muhammad Yunus, took charge in Bangladesh. It is not. However, New Delhi has been accusing Muhammad Younus of instigating the students and some political outfits to attack religious minorities, including Hindus, in Bangladesh, which Dhaka has been constantly denying.

According to the media, many Hindus have been physically assaulted, attacked, and killed by radical groups in Bangladesh. The media reports also say that women are killed after being raped. Even worse, many Hindu Bangladeshis have fled the country with whatever they could grab to safeguard their lives. A Hindu monk, Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and now a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammalita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested on charges of treason upon his arrival at the Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. Soon after the arrest of Chinmay Krishna Das, New Delhi and Dhaka engaged in a war of words threatening to damage the existing bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh.

In response, some Hindu organizations in India criticized the Bangladesh government under the leadership of Muhammad Yunus. They accused Dhaka of protecting the criminals who are mercilessly assaulting and killing the minorities in Bangladesh. In a statement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on November 26, it expressed deep concern, asking the interim regime to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities. However, Bangladesh dismissed India’s concern, and the country’s foreign ministry referred to India’s statement as unfounded and misrepresented facts.

Meanwhile, the flags of both countries were desecrated by the protestors. In India, some protestors supported by regional political parties attacked the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission Office based in Agartala, India. No doubt, India immediately issued a statement describing the attack as deeply regrettable and promising action against those who breached the mission’s security.

The senior joint secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Rahul Kabir Rizvi, threw an Indian saree of his wife, and it was set on fire amid anti-Indian slogans. He called for the boycott of Indian products and promoted local products in protest against the desecration of the national flag of Bangladesh and the attack on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala. Some hospitals in West Bengal and Tripura in India even announced that they would not admit patients from Bangladesh.

Well, this was not the first time Bangladesh has called for the boycott of Indian products. In February 2024, amid allegations of Indian interference in national elections, there was a call to boycott Indian goods in Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi diaspora and then the opposition fueled these anti-India movements and advocated the boycott of Indian products.

While Dhaka and New Delhi were exchanging words, Pakistan was leaving no stone unturned to reestablish and foster its relationship with Dhaka. This is evident in the fact that Bangladesh has said that it is planning to re-examine the past agreements signed with India. For instance, revival of SAARC has been proposed while the Bay of Bengal Initiative for the Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMCTEC) has disappeared from the political lexicon.

Bangladesh and India have remained friendly nations for a long time. Economically, Bangladesh remains India's largest trading partner in South Asia, and India is Bangladesh’s second-largest trading partner, only after China. But now, both are boycotting each other’s products for some politically motivated actor’s actions.

Amidst this escalating tension, the foreign secretary of India, Vikram Misri, is visiting Bangladesh on December 9, 2024. The visit has been viewed as a key step in normalizing the growing hostility between two immediate neighbors. We hope he will be able to meet his objective and re-establish their mutual relationship very shortly.

Over the years, both countries have shared a very cordial relationship politically and economically. This multifaceted relationship should not be held hostage to any single issue, as India has underlined. The attacks and counterattacks will not do anything good for both countries. It is time to take extreme caution to navigate this complex bilateral relationship. Both should shun their irrational actions and talk to each other to restore peace and harmony in both countries.