Commentary: Sheikh Hasina’s demise sentence raises tensions in Bangladesh-India ties at a vital time | USAEMALL.com

TENSE TIME FOR BANGLADESH-INDIA RELATIONS

All this will have far-reaching implications for Bangladesh’s foreign policy and the regional balance of power. 

For India, the 1971 war against West Pakistan was a major win for its strategic positioning and set the stage for friendly relations under Awami League leadership. With the new Bangladeshi leadership on the horizon, New Delhi will need to adopt a more cautious and multiparty approach towards Dhaka. 

Hasina’s continued residency in India will be a flashpoint. It’s worth noting that it was the Bangladeshi Army that asked Hasina to resign and gave her a safe passage by military helicopter to India.  

Will India now extradite Hasina to Bangladesh? It is unlikely, given she is now facing a death sentence. 

If India is taking time, it is to explore legal options and appropriate language to respond. There is language in the treaty with Bangladesh and in India’s own law to refuse extradition, such as if the charges were politically motivated or brought in bad faith. 

However, refusal to comply will have implications. India would lose a key strategic space and goodwill in its backyard that is very close to the Bay of Bengal, and to parties that pose security challenges to Delhi, including Pakistan and China. It will also impact people-to-people ties that, under Sheikh Hasina, remained in India’s favour.