India should atone for Bangladesh’s misplaced decade

Within the annals of South Asia’s political historical past, India’s function in sustaining Sheikh Hasina’s regime in Bangladesh stands as a stark lesson within the risks of prioritizing short-term strategic pursuits over long-term regional stability.

As Bangladesh emerges from the shadow of Hasina’s autocratic rule, India should grapple with its culpability in propping up a regime that choked the democratic aspirations of a nation.

The seeds of Bangladesh’s misplaced decade had been first sown in 2013 throughout a pivotal go to by Sujata Singh, then India’s Overseas Secretary. Her go to, simply weeks earlier than Bangladesh’s controversial common elections, included a gathering with Basic Hossain Mohammad Ershad to influence him to take part in an election deserted by all main opposition events.

This direct intervention to instill a dummy opposition in an election devoid of significant competitors began Bangladesh’s misplaced decade, turning its fragile but useful democracy into fascism with Indian backing.

For a lot of Bangladeshis, it was a defining second—marking the purpose when India selected to aspect with a regime slightly than the democratic aspirations of the folks.

In 2018 and once more in 2024, a lot of the worldwide neighborhood distanced itself from the Awami League’s manipulated elections. But, India stood agency as Hasina’s sole backer, offering her authorities with the worldwide legitimacy it desperately wanted.

This unwavering assist, mixed with New Delhi’s silence on human rights abuses and electoral fraud, cemented India’s picture because the enabler of a dictatorship. With out India’s backing, Hasina’s grip on energy couldn’t have endured.

Decade of exploitation

India’s assist for Hasina was not altruistic. All through her tenure, key agreements favored Indian pursuits, from transit routes to vitality exports, typically at Bangladesh’s expense.

These offers had been perceived by many as Hasina’s “return of favor” for India’s political backing, reinforcing the narrative that she served Indian pursuits slightly than her personal folks. The suspicion that Hasina was turning Bangladesh right into a shopper state of India—akin to the destiny of Sikkim—additional eroded belief.

This notion is central to Bangladesh’s nationwide consciousness. Whereas Hasina’s authorities leaned closely on India, abnormal Bangladeshis noticed this relationship as exploitative. The Awami League’s rule grew to become synonymous with not simply home oppression but additionally exterior subjugation.

But, India, remarkably, appears oblivious to the deep resentment this has fostered. Indian policymakers have traditionally seen their relationship with Bangladesh via the prism of Hasina, failing to have interaction meaningfully with the folks of Bangladesh.

India’s missteps had been compounded by its media institution, which performed a big function in distorting the narrative round Bangladesh’s political student-led revolution that ousted Hasina, as she shamefully fled to India by helicopter.

A current examine by Rumor Scanner uncovered how 49 Indian media retailers unfold 13 false tales about Bangladesh, lots of which painted the nation’s democratic rebellion as an Islamist insurgency.

One of the evident examples was Indian media’s protection of the post-Hasina rebellion. Shops like Firstpost and The Financial Occasions pushed unfounded claims that the protests had been orchestrated by Pakistan’s ISI intelligence company and China to put in an anti-India authorities.

Such propaganda was not restricted to fringe retailers. Even West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee joined the refrain, calling for a UN mission to intervene in Bangladesh—a press release that infected tensions additional.

India framed the post-revolution backlash in opposition to the Awami League’s oppressive equipment as focused Hindu oppression, ignoring its roots in widespread political grievances.

By decreasing the rebellion to a communal narrative, India distorted Bangladesh’s battle and additional alienated its folks, viewing it as an try and protect a discredited regime beneath the guise of defending minorities.

The assaults on the Bangladeshi Excessive Fee in Agartala, mixed with the communal framing of occasions in Indian media, have solely deepened anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh.

Certainly, these narratives ignored the democratic essence of the rebellion, portraying it as an alternative as a risk to regional stability. By perpetuating such disinformation, Indian media and politicians alienated the Bangladeshi populace additional.

Rebuilding belief

As Bangladesh transitions from Hasina’s authoritarianism, India faces a crucial selection: proceed the insurance policies of the previous or recalibrate its method to mirror the aspirations of a democratic Bangladesh. The latter requires New Delhi to undertake a basic shift in its engagement technique.

1. Have interaction with out an agenda to revive Sheikh Hasina: India should abandon its fixation on restoring the Awami League to energy. Any makes an attempt to engineer Hasina’s return or affect Bangladesh’s home politics might be met with resistance and will irreparably injury bilateral ties. As a substitute, India ought to concentrate on participating with Bangladesh’s new management and fostering relationships that prioritize mutual respect and democratic values.
2. Acknowledge its function within the decade of oppression: Indian policymakers should acknowledge their function in enabling Hasina’s repressive regime. This isn’t merely an train in introspection however a mandatory step to rebuild belief. By propping up Hasina, India choked a nation that had fought valiantly to revive democracy within the Nineteen Nineties. This betrayal of democratic beliefs won’t be forgotten except India actively seeks to atone for its errors.
3. Promote fairness in partnerships: Bangladeshis broadly understand India’s offers with Hasina’s authorities as exploitative, benefiting India at Bangladesh’s expense. Shifting ahead, New Delhi should prioritize equitable agreements that serve each nations’ pursuits. This consists of clear negotiations on commerce, vitality, and transit that mirror a real partnership slightly than an influence imbalance.
4. Fight misinformation and communal narratives: Indian media should finish its systematic marketing campaign of misinformation about Bangladesh. Recognizing the democratic essence of Bangladesh’s struggles, slightly than framing them as communal or Islamist threats, is essential. This additionally extends to Indian political discourse, which should shed its communal lens when analyzing Bangladesh’s inner affairs.

Burying the Hasina previous

India’s relationship with Bangladesh can’t stay tethered to the Hasina period.

To forge a brand new path, India should atone for its function in sustaining a regime that stifled democracy and alienated its folks. This begins with acknowledging the hurt attributable to its actions, from political interference to exploitative offers and divisive media narratives.

Bangladesh’s combat for democracy has been lengthy and arduous. Having emerged from the shadows of dictatorship, the nation now seeks a companion, not a patron. For India, this is a chance to construct a relationship rooted in equality, respect and shared aspirations.

But when New Delhi fails to adapt and continues to impress throughout Bangladesh’s transition towards forming a brand new nationwide id, it dangers driving the nation towards a path like Pakistan’s—outlined by resistance to Indian affect.

India’s selection is evident: rebuild belief and embrace a democratic Bangladesh, or stay haunted by the legacy of a misplaced decade.