While discussing Bangladesh’s political situation with Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Indian journalists in Dhaka, I was struck by how neatly history seemed to fold back on itself.
In 2024, India is grappling with the consequences of its misjudgments in Dhaka, even as Pakistan finds new diplomatic space. Whether this moment marks a break with the past or merely its repetition remains unclear.
What struck me most was a comment by a young Bangladeshi: “We want equal and better relations with both Pakistan and India. Both of you treated us in similar ways. […] We have wounds from both, but we want to move forward”.
Following Sheikh Hasina’s departure for India on August 5, 2024, anti-Indian sentiment persists among the public, but it is directed at the Indian government rather than the Indian people. India and Bangladesh share a 4,096-kilometre land border.
Fifty-four rivers, including the Padma, Brahmaputra, and Teesta, connect the two countries. Bilateral trade stands at $14-16 billion, and their interests remain deeply intertwined.
India’s policy of putting all its eggs in Hasina’s Awami League basket proved costly, though it is now trying to rebuild bridges. India appears to have realised its policy missteps, or at least that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) represents the new political reality with a public mandate.
When I asked Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman whether he would demand Hasina’s extradition from India, given public calls in Dhaka for accountability, he replied cautiously: “That depends on the judicial process”.
Rahman appeared to be a seasoned and careful politician. He avoided angering anyone and did not resort to populist rhetoric. Notably, he did not utter a single critical word about the Awami League or Hasina.
One positive aspect of the current moment is that doors appear open for Pakistan. In Dhaka, people warmly welcome Pakistanis. I met Afroza Begum, the daughter of a Pakistani Air Force officer, born in Rawalpindi in 1958.
She had come to a restaurant with her siblings and recalled how, after the attempted hijacking of a Pakistani plane by Matiur Rahman, they were detained. Alongside those memories, she also recalled fond ones, especially the food and places of Karachi and Peshawar.
“We came from Pakistan in 1974, but our hearts still remain there. That is why, when we heard of the Peshawari Kitchen restaurant in Dhaka, we came to relive those memories.”
The efforts of Pakistani diplomats, especially former high commissioner Imran Siddiqui, are visible. Current High Commissioner Imran Haider and his team are also working to bring the two countries closer. Bilateral trade between Pakistan and Bangladesh stands at about $865 million, and diplomats are focusing on expanding both social and economic ties.
Policymakers in Pakistan should view Bangladesh not through an Indian lens, but as an independent and sovereign brother with its own relationships. Similarly, Indian policymakers should not see Bangladesh through a Pakistani lens, but as a country that initiated Saarc and wants to revive it.
“We will work to reorganise Saarc and will talk to our friends, after forming the government, as it was our initiative,” Tarique Rahman said at a press conference in response to a question from The News.
For Bangladesh’s new leadership, the first priority is Bangladesh itself and its national interests. Rahman’s approach focuses on “Bangladesh First” rather than Pakistan or India. Despite personal tragedies, including the assassination of his father and his mother’s death after years in exile, he refrains from speaking ill of opponents.
Domestically, he is reaching across divides, visiting Dr Shafiqur Rahman of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and meeting Nashad Islam, a key elected youth leader of the National Citizens Party (NCP), which played a significant role in the movement that led to Sheikh Hasina Wajed’s removal from power.
He appears to understand that rebuilding a nation requires respecting political opponents. The hope is that by revitalising Saarc, Bangladesh can become a centre of regional cooperation rather than a battleground of India-Pakistan rivalry.
Originally published in The News
