Crisis in India-Bangladesh relations deepens amid violent protests

The killing of a Hindu during recent violent protests in Bangladesh has plunged already strained ties between Dhaka and Delhi into a deeper crisis.

As the two neighbors accuse each other of destabilizing their relationship, the question arises whether their once close and tested relationship is fraying beyond repair.

In India, this episode sparked protests from Hindu nationalist groups. The slain man, Dipu Chandra Das, 27, a member of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority, was accused of blasphemy and beaten to death by a mob last week in Mymensingh, northern Bangladesh.

The incident occurred as violent protests erupted following the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent student leader, in the capital, Dhaka.

Hadi’s supporters said the main suspect, who they say is linked to the Awami League – the party of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina – had fled to India, further fueling anti-Indian sentiment in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh. Bangladeshi police, however, said there was no confirmation that the suspect had left the country.

In recent days, the South Asian neighbors have suspended visa services in several cities, including Delhi, and accused each other of failing to provide adequate security at their diplomatic missions.

The two countries also summoned their respective high commissioners to raise security concerns.

“I sincerely hope that tensions will not escalate further on both sides,” Riva Ganguly Das, former Indian high commissioner in Dhaka, told the BBC, adding that the “volatile situation” in Bangladesh made it difficult to predict which way things would go.

Anti-Indian sentiment in Bangladesh is not new.

A section of Bangladeshis has always been unhappy with what they see as India’s overwhelming influence over their country, particularly during Hasina’s 15-year rule before she was deposed in an uprising last year.

Anger has increased since Hasina took refuge in India and Delhi, so far, has not agreed to send her back despite several requests from Dhaka.

In the aftermath of Hadi’s assassination, some young leaders reportedly made provocative anti-Indian statements.

In recent weeks, Bangladeshi security forces have had to prevent protesters from marching towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

Last week, a mob pelted stones at the Indian Deputy High Commission building in Chittagong, sparking outrage in Delhi. Police later arrested 12 people in connection with the incident, but they were later released without any charges.

There have been counter-rallies in India. Bangladesh has strongly opposed a protest by a Hindu group outside its diplomatic premises in Delhi, calling it “unjustifiable”.

“I have never seen this kind of suspicion and distrust between the two sides before,” said Humayun Kabir, a former Bangladeshi diplomat.

He added that both sides should protect their respective diplomatic missions in accordance with established standards.

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The brutal lynching of Das, a garment factory worker, only added to the anger on the Indian side.

He was accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad and was lynched by a mob who then tied his body to a tree and set it on fire.

Videos of the killing were widely shared on social media, sparking outrage on both sides of the border.

Bangladesh’s caretaker government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, said there was “no place for such violence in the new Bangladesh”, promising that no one involved in the killing would be spared.

Bangladeshi police say they have arrested 12 people in connection with Das’ murder.

Analysts say her killing has once again raised questions about the safety of minorities and civil society activists in Bangladesh, as religious fundamentalists have become more assertive and intolerant after Hasina’s departure.

Radical Islamists have desecrated hundreds of Sufi shrines, attacked Hindus, stopped women from playing football in some areas and also restricted musical and cultural performances.

Human rights groups have also expressed growing concerns over rising mob violence in Bangladesh over the past year.

“Extremist elements in society now see themselves as the mainstream and do not want to see pluralism or diversity of thought in the country,” said Asif Bin Ali, a Bangladeshi political analyst.

“These radical elements are dehumanizing people and institutions by spreading a narrative that they are pro-India. This gives a green light to others on the ground to attack them.”

Many in Bangladesh suspect radical Islamists were part of the mob that vandalized and burned the buildings of two Bangladeshi dailies – The Daily Star and Prothom Alo – and a cultural institution last week, accusing them of being pro-India.

Civil society activists in Bangladesh have criticized the interim administration for its failure to end the recent violence. Even before the protests, the caretaker government was under scrutiny as it struggled to maintain law and order and achieve results amid political unrest.

Experts like Ashok Swain say right-wing leaders on both sides are making provocative statements for their own benefit, stoking tensions and public anger.

“Much of the Indian media also exaggerates the events in Bangladesh and shows the country descending into communal chaos,” says Swain, a professor of peace and conflict research at Uppsala University in Sweden.

“People need to understand that stability in Bangladesh is the key to India’s security, especially in the northeast,” he says.

While the interim administration in Dhaka is criticized for its lack of control and legitimacy, there is broad consensus that an elected government would be better placed to address Bangladesh’s domestic and external challenges.

The country is expected to hold elections on February 12, but until then, Yunus has the difficult task of avoiding further violence.

With Ms. Hasina’s Awami League banned from participating in the elections, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is widely expected to emerge victorious.

But Islamist political parties like Jamaat-e-Islami can pose a challenge to the BNP.

There are fears there could be more violence in the coming days as radical religious parties exploit anti-Indian sentiments.

“The biggest victim of this anti-India policy is not India, it is Bangladeshi citizens themselves – such as secular-minded individuals, centrists and minorities,” warns Asif Bin Ali.

According to him, the current discourse shows that anyone or any institution that criticizes fundamentalists can be “dehumanized by calling them pro-Indian, and that attacks against them can be justified.”

Indian policymakers are aware of the changing dynamics in Bangladesh.

An Indian parliamentary panel said developments in Bangladesh pose “the biggest strategic challenge” for Delhi since the country’s 1971 war of independence.

Former Bangladeshi diplomats like Humayun Kabir believe that India should accept the ground reality and reach out to Bangladesh to restore confidence.

“We are neighbors and interdependent,” says Mr. Kabir.

Delhi has already indicated it will engage with an elected government in Bangladesh, which could pave the way for a diplomatic restart.

Until then, experts on both sides warn that street anger must not strain bilateral relations.