Delhi and Dhaka must insulate ties from short-termism.
Over the better part of two decades, Delhi and Dhaka crafted one of the Subcontinent’s most significant and stable bilateral relationships. Part of the reason for this was the conducive atmosphere created by the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in Bangladesh. Hasina’s perceived “pro-India” stance has become a thorny issue in her country since her ouster in August 2024, and matters were made worse by the political instability, including attacks on minorities. However, after the BNP’s victory in the Bangladesh elections in February, it is clear that a more mature leadership on both sides is ready to reset Ties. The visit by Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is an important step in that journey.
According to the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, the minister “reiterated its request to extradite Sheikh Hasina and her Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to Bangladesh, who have been awarded the death penalty by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)”. The demand must be read for what it is — a political statement by a new government. Delhi cannot acquiesce to the request, not least because the ICT was widely condemned as a politically partisan body. That said, there was much in the Foreign Minister’s visit to steer ties back on track. Both sides reportedly discussed the importance of renewing the Ganga Water Treaty, which will expire in December. Bangladesh also expressed the need for greater supplies of fuel and fertilisers. Both countries have agreed to normalise the issuing of visas. For India, the most salient issue is securing the 4,156 km border. Cooperation along the border has helped maintain a stable frontier for both sides, including along India’s northeastern states. Connectivity, energy cooperation and multilateral initiatives under bodies such as BIMSTEC depend on Dhaka and Delhi being on the same page.
To his credit, PM Tarique Rahman has struck a conciliatory note since his appointment. It is necessary to build on Dhaka’s call for ties to be based on “mutual trust and respect and reciprocal benefit”. Both countries share a history, culture and geography that make the gains of working together exponential. The task now is not to let the past — including the Hasina issue — become a roadblock. For the sake of the people of India and Bangladesh, their governments must insulate the relationship from a short-term politics.