Monday was filled with intense violence and arson in Bangladesh. The student movement turned violent due to clashes between protesters and government supporters. The mob became so enraged that the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, had to resign and flee the country. She has reached India and is currently staying at Hindon Airbase. Demonstrators entered the Prime Minister’s House and bulldozed the statue of Sheikh Mujib, the father of the nation of Bangladesh. The Indian government is monitoring the situation in the neighboring country. Experts discuss the impact of Bangladesh’s destabilization on India and what will happen next in Bangladesh.
If the anti-India government comes, the tension will increase.
Strategic expert Sushant Sarin said, ‘Such situations arise when one does not even imagine. If you imagine in advance, such steps will be taken that you will not see such situations. Ever since Bangladesh was born, every 5-10 years there are such riots, they last for a while and then things settle down. But the effect this abscess leaves is not always good.
He said, ‘India will also be worried if a third front is opening after China and Pakistan. If a government comes to power in Bangladesh which has hatred against India… like Jamaat-e-Islami which is known for terrorism. Last time he formed a government with BNP, there was a lot of terrorism from him in India, including Pakistan. In such a situation, if their government comes, it is to be seen what the situation will be. There will be tension.
The situation in Bangladesh will remain critical
Sushant Sirin said, ‘Will the army, which formed the caretaker government there in 2007 and 2009, be that kind of government? Although the chances are low. If the military directly forms the government, the effect will be different. This will not be acceptable to many people. The people of Bangladesh also do not know how long that government will last, then there will be elections, what will be the form of the government if it is formed. The situation in Bangladesh will remain critical for some time, but Bangladesh will not collapse completely. Disruption will ease but it is hard to say on which side it will sit.
Many questions before Bangladesh
Sushant Sirin said, ‘According to the latest news coming in, some names have been announced. Three or four military officers, some judges, some academics, a Hindu have also been placed in the interim government that will be formed. There is no radical image. Will those who have been elected be acceptable to the interim government? If so, when will the elections be held? Will there be elections or will this government last for one or two years?
‘These are not good days for Bangladesh’
He said, ‘There has been a loss of 10 billion dollars. That too at a time when Bangladesh is already included in the IMF programme. There were financial problems. There was inflation, unemployment was also increasing. The economic situation will no longer improve as Bangladesh is an export economy which will be affected. Because now many goods that are to be sent will not be able to be sent. Industries shut down, all businesses shut down, deadlines missed. It will be a different upheaval that will be seen in the future. So things are not good and will not be good for weeks and months to come. Its effect will last for a long time. These are not good days for Bangladesh.
‘India will keep a close eye on Bangladesh’
On the Indian government’s role, former diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar said, ‘There is still a lot of uncertainty. I am sure India’s attitude will be that this is an internal matter of Bangladesh. It is true that Sheikh Hasina has good relations with India. Since his father’s time, the two countries have had good relations. Since 2009 when Sheikh Hasina came to power, it was a golden time for India-Bangladesh relations. We will only say that this is an internal matter of Bangladesh. India will closely monitor developments there. The army chief there repeatedly mentioned the ‘interim government’ in his address. Army does not want to take power in its hands and run the government. So it has to be seen who becomes the interim prime minister.
