How India Is Making Bangladesh's Yunus Pay For Cozying Up With Pakistan, China

New Delhi's withdrawal of the trans-shipment facility it had granted to Bangladesh for exporting various items to the Middle East, Europe and various other countries except Nepal and Bhutan. The move came in wake of the increasingly 'anti-India stance' of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government. The Foreign Ministry, however, said the privilege offered to Dhaka was withdrawn as it begun causing significant operational issues at Indian ports and airports.

But the move was seen as India’s first significant retaliation against the increasingly "anti-India stance" of the Muhammed Yunus-led interim government.

During his recent four-day trip to China, Yunuus described India's Northeast as a "landlocked" region reliant on Dhaka for access to the ocean — remarks that triggered strong diplomatic backlash.

In a sharp rebuttal to Yunus, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the role of India's cast 6,500-km coastline and its geographical linkages with five Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) members.

"India shares borders not only with five BIMSTEC members, connects most of them, but also provides much of the interface between the Indian sub-continent and ASEAN. Our North-Eastern region in particular is emerging as a connectivity hub for the BIMSTEC, with a myriad network of roads, railways, waterways, grids and pipelines," Jaishankar said in a statement.

India Is Among 15 Sources Of FDI For Bangladesh

India is Bangladesh's second-largest trading partner, and a foremost development partner with a development portfolio of US $8 billion. Dhaka relies substantially on foreign funds for its development and sustenance. However, amid increasing anti-India sentiment, trade has declined due to border closures, customs clearance issues, and increased security surveillance hindering the smooth flow of goods between the two countries.

Apart from that, several projects aimed to boost connectivity between both countries have also been put on hold, and public transportation has remained suspended since last June. This has not only led to losses for traders sending goods across the border, but has also created challenges for Bangladeshis looking for medical treatment in India.

India-Bangladesh Relations and the Pakistan Wildcard

While Yunus has publicly reassured that "there is no problem in our basic relationship (with India)," his government has repeatedly blamed India for the domestic chaos in Dhaka to shift responsibility.

Breaking the Awami League's Hilsa diplomacy, Farida Akhter, the Yunus government prohibited the sale of Hilsa to India ahead of the Durga Puja, stating that there would not be enough for the domestic population. This decision - which appeased anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh - affected Hindu celebrations across the border, raising doubts over the interim government’s commitment to protecting the rights of its Hindu minorities.

Under Yunus, Dhaka has been increasingly cozying with Pakistan - a country with which India fought a war in 1971 to liberate Bangladesh. The two countries have reset ties to an extent that Pakistan’s military now describes the two nations as ‘brotherly countries’. As per reports, Bangladesh is interested in acquiring JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Pakistan, which were jointly developed by China, to forward its ‘Forces Goal 2030’ programme aimed at military modernisation.

Notwithstanding the recent strains, Yunus, in a recent interview with BBC Bangla, acknowledged that restoring functional bilateral ties with India was crucial for Bangladesh. He stated that the two nations remain ‘historically, politically, and economically’ connected and that their relationship is ‘fundamentally strong’.

Though India's Northeast region is largely enclosed by Bangladesh, except for a small border it shares with Myanmar, Bangladesh is virtually surrounded by India, barring its southern border along the Bay of Bengal.

Stressing the very special history between the two countries, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar recently stated Bangladesh must decide what kind of ties it wants with India. "We have a long history with Bangladesh. We have a very special history with Bangladesh. It goes back to 1971".