When Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visits Dhaka next week, all eyes will be set on him and people keeping an eye on the India-Bangladesh relations will try to fathom the outcome of the visit.
Will he send signals to the neighbouring country that New Delhi wants to work with the present dispensation, improve bilateral ties in the changed political circumstances and rein in ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from creating further troubles for the interim government, who is at loggerheads with her?
Will India Talk Tough?
Or will Vikram Sikri talk tough and warn the beleaguered nation of harsh action if it fails to protect minorities or harm interests of India?
The visit will take place at a time when the bilateral ties have hit rock bottom after Bangladesh’s mission in Agartala was attacked by an irate mob after expelled ISCKON preacher Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested for alleged sedition.
Analysts believe the Indo-Bangladesh ties may go further south after Sheikh Hasina accused Interim Government’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus of “genocide” and not doing enough to protect minorities including Hindus.
She also reiterated that the Nobel laureate was involved in corruption and money laundering while working for microfinance lender Grameen Bank.
Will India Reset Ties With Bangaldesh?
Political analysts believe New Delhi should rework its foreign policy and reset its ties with Dhaka keeping in mind its own interests and the ground realities. It should also be ready to keep the ousted Bangladeshi PM under control or request her to find another asylUm.
India has committed the mistake of putting all of its eggs in one basket, supported Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League. It has completely ignored other players like BNP’s Khaleda Zia despite her willingness to work with India.
New Delhi has already taken a step by trying to woo the BNP after the parry reached out to India.
India Reaches Out To BJP
The High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, and his colleagues met Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the BNP General Secretary in Dhaka last month.
Also Read: India-Bangladesh Relations: Is Populism Driving Nations Further Apart?
Responding to the development, Alamgir told reporters, “India wants to bring a positive outlook to the relation with the BNP. “ Praising India for its changed stance with the changed situation, he said further, “They conveyed that they would like to firm up relations with Bangladesh, especially in the context of the big political change that has taken place here.”
Will India Accommodate Jamaat-e-Islami?
Another important player is the fundamentalist Islamist organisastion Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, which has become an elephant in the room, you can dislike it, but you cannot ignore it.
As it has become clear that the anti-government student movement in Bangladesh was hijacked and spearheaded by Jamaat’s student wing Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, which has made deep inroads into the universities and campuses across the country, it is better to handle it, though with caution.
In an attempt to reach out to India, Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Shafiqur Rahman, emphasized the need to enhance relations.
Talking to the Indian Media Correspondents Association Bangladesh, he said that neighbours cannot be changed at will, and this is something that neither of the neighbouring countries can deny.
Moving one step further, the outfit reiterated in a statement its commitment to protecting the homes, resources, and places of worship of all religious communities in Bangladesh.
Will Vikram Misri Assuage Bangladesh’s Feelings
Analysts believe, Vikram Misri should try to assuage the frayed sentiments in Bangladesh and indicate the willingness to work with the interim government more closely.
He is most likely to raise the issue of the safety of Hindus, who have been at the receiving end of the ire and atrocities after the ouster of Shiekh Hasina.
But he should also recall that Muhammad Yunus visited the Dhakeshwari temple in the nation’s capital and met its priests to assure them of their safety and security.
It should also be kept in mind that many Muslim youths and organisations at the local level came out to protect many temples and Hindu localities and households.
No Permanent Friends Or Foes!
Political observers believe, that no nation should have permanent friends or foes, rather it should have only permanent interests of its own and make friends accordingly.
The MEA mandarins should take lessons from their US counterparts, who did not give a visa to Narendra Modi after the Gujrat riots of February 2002, but the then US Ambassador met him and reached out to him after he was declared the PM face of the BJP in 2014.
Will the Indian Foreign Secretary rise to the occasion and offer an olive branch to Dhaka and its important non-state actors? Will he indicate to the neighbour that India is ready to walk the extra mile to help the beleaguered nation?
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