India-Bangladesh Ties: Did New Delhi Make A Mistake By Extending Asylum To Sheikh Hasina? | India News

India-Bangladesh Relations: Political tensions are high and Islamist radicals are holding rallies across Bangladesh reflecting anti-India sentiment. The Bangladesh student protest that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government has now turned anti-India under the interim government led by Muhammad Younis. No one is talking about reforms or general elections, but the majority of leaders in Bangladesh seem more worried about cashing in on anti-India sentiments than resolving civil unrest.

However, Hasina blamed the Yunus Government for the tense relations with India. Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina believes that the tense relations between India and her country are entirely due to the interim government headed by Muhammad Younis. He accused the Yunus government of making hostile statements against India and failing to protect religious minorities.

“The tension you are witnessing is entirely due to Younis. His government makes hostile statements against India, fails to protect religious minorities and allows extremists to dictate foreign policy, and then expresses surprise when tensions escalate. India has been Bangladesh’s staunchest friend and partner for decades. The ties between our nations are deep and fundamental; they will outlast any interim government. Once legitimate rule is restored, Bangladesh will return to the sensible partnership we have developed over fifteen years,” Hasina told ANI. I’m sure he’ll be back.”

Amid the ongoing tension, voices are being raised from many quarters in India as well, with people questioning the Indian Government over its decision to grant asylum to Sheikh Hasina. Many critics are of the view that by hosting Hasina, India is closing the door to negotiations or revival of relations with Bangladesh. Dhaka has called on India to deport Hasina on multiple occasions.

Former diplomat KP Fabian also supported this claim. “By keeping Sheikh Hasina here, India made it difficult to establish good relations with Bangladesh and gave an opportunity to those who wanted to spoil the relations. What India should have done was to extend her right to asylum at that time when she first arrived. But soon, India should have found another place for her in another country.”

Fabian also underlined that although India and Bangladesh have an agreement banning any political extradition, Dhaka thinks he is a criminal and should face the rule of law here.

But other former diplomats opposed the idea. Veena Sikri, former Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh, said during an ORF seminar that India acted correctly by being Hasina’s friend, while others failed her.

Sikri said the friends do not act against each other. “What would you do if you had a very good friend with whom you had taken shelter in your house and someone surrounded your house and tried to break down the door? You offer your friend as bait? No, I’m sorry. This is not India’s credibility. That’s how foreign policy works. The dilemma is, honorable Dalai Lama, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and we have been here for over fifty years. So, through thick and thin, a friend is a friend. Let’s not forget that some things are beyond just foreign policy rhetoric,” he said.

She also highlighted the fact that Hasina’s last thanks Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving protection to Hasina while noting that none of the 50 Islamic nations offered help to the family.

Former Indian ambassador Kanwal Sibal also said that he did not agree with the claim that India should deport Sheikh Hasina in order to establish better relations with Bangladesh. He wrote about X: “By this logic, we should also have encouraged the Dalai Lama to seek refuge elsewhere in order to establish better relations with China.”

Experts think that while establishing diplomatic relations with Bangladesh, India should also look after its interests in the face of threats emanating from Dhaka territory. As Bangladesh navigates an uncertain transition, the course of its ties with India will be shaped not by rhetoric or anger but by the choices future leadership makes. Whether Dhaka moves towards institutional stability, inclusive governance and pragmatic diplomacy or allows populism and extremism to set its course will determine the region’s strategic balance. The challenge for India is to protect its interests by remaining open to a reset based on legitimacy and mutual respect.