Kolkata: When in trouble always turn to your old friend… always! Sheikh Hasina’s arrival in India is no great surprise. In 1975, when Mujibur and most of his family were assassinated, Hasina and her younger sister survived as they were abroad. India opened its arms to provide shelter to Hasina and she went on to spend six years in Delhi.
The atmosphere was not conducive for Hasina to return to Bangladesh. Hasina’s friendly relations with India and the Gandhi family go a long way. Also, Sheikh Hasina was bestowed the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize in 2010 by the then-Congress-led UPA government.
New Delhi has been Hasina’s “biggest ally” for years. Hasina has maintained close connections with India irrespective of the change in regime(s) since she was first elected to power. Also recently in January 2024, Hasina called India a “trusted friend”. As Bangladesh held elections, she said in a message to New Delhi, ‘‘We are very lucky. India is our trusted friend. During our Liberation War, they supported us. After 1975, when we lost our whole family, they gave us shelter. Our best wishes to the people of India."
Bangladesh’s ties with New Delhi were re-bolstered under the Modi regime too. Also, India’s economic relations with Bangladesh have grown, with bilateral trade reaching $15.9 billion last year. After Modi became the PM (again for the straight third term), Hasina was the first state guest hosted by India between June 21 and 22. It was then that the two nations had pledged to expand “power and energy collaboration” and develop “intra-regional electricity trade”. New Delhi has always closely worked with Dhaka on countering terrorist groups operating out of Bangladesh and Hasina has also managed to stub out anti-India militant groups in Bangladesh.
Hasina’s choosing India to seek a safe passage following the mammoth wrath in the country which left almost 250 people dead, shows that New Delhi still honours the friendship and believes in continuing with the support to Hasina. Also, the former Bangladesh PM is sure of the fact that New Delhi is responsible for her safety and safe passage in the coming days.
Corporate Connect
Data from the high commission of India in Bangladesh indicates that major Indian companies that have invested in the country include Marico, Emami, Dabur, Asian Paints, Pidilite, Godrej, Sun Pharma, Tata Motors, and Hero MotoCorp. And the current crisis has directly or indirectly affected business. The economic impact of the protests in Bangladesh is estimated at Taka 6,500 crore daily (over Rs 4,600 crore/Rs 46 million), according to a local media report citing the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Trade has been growing rapidly on the import and export fronts.
Bangladesh is strong in garments but the rest of its demand is met by other countries, including India. Currently, however, bilateral trade has suffered seriously because of the unrest, Bangladesh is India's biggest trade partner in South Asia, and India is Bangladesh's second-largest trade partner in Asia.
Bangladesh exported $1.97 billion of goods to India in 2023-2024, with total bilateral trade at $14.01 billion. So, a peaceful environment in the neighbouring countries… especially in Bangladesh is much expected by New Delhi. However, it will be interesting to see how India’s gesture towards Hasina is taken note of by the new regime.
