No Alternative To India? What Bangladesh Interim Government Chief Adviser’s Words Signify

New Delhi: In politically charged times in Bangladesh, interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s statement that there is no alternative to good relations with India is more than just diplomatic rhetoric – it's a signal of the challenges ahead.

With Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August 2024 and the end of the Awami League’s long-standing rule, India-Bangladesh ties are at a crossroads. Yunus’s remarks suggest that despite political shifts, Dhaka cannot afford to distance itself from New Delhi.

In an interview with BBC Bangla, Yunus claimed Bangladesh’s ties with India are "very good" and "our relationship will always be very good". "There is no way Bangladesh-India relations cannot be good," he said. "Our relations are close, our dependence on each other is so high and historically, politically, and economically we have such a close relationship, we cannot deviate from that."

However, at the same time, he admitted that some conflicts have arisen in the middle. "These clouds have come mostly from propaganda," Yunus said. "Others will judge who the sources of the propaganda are. But as a result of this propaganda, a misunderstanding has arisen with us. We are trying to overcome that misunderstanding."

Asked whether he was in direct contact with the Indian government, he replied: "There is constant communication. They are coming here, our people are going there. I spoke to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi in the first week (after assuming office)."

Bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh are poised delicately following the regime change in Dhaka last year. On August 5 last year, Hasina was ousted from power following a mass uprising in protest against what people called her authoritarian style of governance. Three days later, Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin installed an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Yunus as Chief Adviser.

With Hasina taking refuge in India, relations between the two South Asian neighbours have since been tense. Meanwhile, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh has ordered the extradition of Hasina and many of her associates who fled the country after the upheaval in August 2024.

The ouster of Hasina also saw the rise of extremist Islamist elements in Bangladesh’s political landscape leading to large-scale violence against religious minorities, particularly Hindus. India has been continuously voicing its concerns over these developments. However, in December last year, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka to participate in the annual India-Bangladesh foreign office consultations. It was the first high-level bilateral visit between the two countries after the interim government came to power in Bangladesh.

Following the consultations, Misri told the media in Dhaka that India desires a positive, constructive, and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh.

"We have always seen in the past and we continue to see in the future this relationship as a people-centric and people-oriented relationship; one that has the benefit of all the people as its central motivational force," he said.

Yunus’s latest comments on ties with India come at a time when the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is demanding holding of early parliamentary elections and close on the heels of the formation of a new political party called the Jatiyo Nagorik Party (National Citizens’ Party) by the leaders of last year’s mass uprising.

It is in this context that what Yunus’s latest comments on ties with India imply need to be seen. Prabir De, Professor at the New Delhi-based Research and Information System for Developing Nations (RIS) think tank, stated that Bangladesh is going to be elevated to a developing country in January 2026.

"At the same time, they have to conduct an election," De told ETV Bharat. "Bangladesh is also targeting to be a $1-trillion economy by 2031. So, without cooperation from and engagement with India, Bangladesh cannot meet any of these targets."

He said that Yunus has been realising how Bangladesh is falling apart in terms of democracy, internal security and peace and harmony among different communities.

“So, Yunus has to be polite towards India," De said. At the same time, De recalled how Yunus made anti-India comments soon after assuming power including mentioning that Bangladesh is enclosed by India on most sides of the international boundary.

"They (the interim government) have been removing mentions of India from school history textbooks,” he said. "University buildings and departments named after prominent Indian personalities are being renamed."

De also pointed out that border posts between India and Bangladesh, whether these be in Sabroom, Petrapole or Akhaura have stopped functioning.

"People-to-people exchanges between the two countries have virtually stopped," he said. De also pointed out that is why India is concerned about the developments in Bangladesh.

"They are in touch with China and have invited Pakistani defence and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) personnel over," he said.

Saifur Rahman Tapan, a Dhaka-based journalist, also recalled how Yunus made anti-India statements in his early days of power and how he warned about spillover effects in India's northeastern region.

"However, in the meantime, it has been proved that he (Yunus) has no capacity to translate his promises into reality," Tapan told ETV Bharat over the phone. "I should say that Yunus has understood the ground reality or he has been forced to grasp the ground reality. The reality that prevails now has forced him to admit the truth."

Tapan also said that Yunus’s remarks in the BBC Bangla interview should also be seen in the context of Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman’s comments late last month about the situation in the country.

Speaking at an event organised by the Army, Zaman said that there is a serious problem in Bangladesh with a rapidly worsening law and order situation.

"The anarchy we have witnessed is of our own making," he said, adding that there is an urgent need for national unity and institutional discipline.

"If you can’t move beyond your differences and continue meddling and fighting among yourselves, and if you continue to injure and kill one another, the independence and integrity of the country will be at risk - I warn you," Zaman said in what can be seen as a message to Bangladeshi citizens.

He urged people to support the interim government led by Yunus and assured them of an election as soon as possible. Yunus has said that parliamentary elections in Bangladesh will be held by December this year.

Yunus’s latest words about ties with India go beyond diplomacy - they reflect the practical realities of a deeply interwoven relationship that Bangladesh cannot afford to jeopardise. His comments come even as reports suggest that he might have a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit scheduled to be held in Thailand early next month.