THE maiden India visit by Bangladesh’s new Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud couldn’t have been better timed. He met his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor AK Doval and held extensive discussions for improved bilateral cooperation between the countries. He also addressed the media, and importantly, disclosed that the anti-India sentiment, which saw a spike soon after the recently-concluded elections that returned Sheikh Hasina to power in her fourth successive term, is now diminishing. The visiting Foreign Minister also supported the recent Indian move of fencing the Indo-Myanmar border.
Bangladesh well understands the security concerns emanating from Myanmar principally due to the Rohingyas’ brunt that Dhaka is facing for the last nearly seven years. Over a million Rohingyas are camping in Bangladesh with no signs of return and a bulk of them have become security liabilities for indulging in religious indoctrinations, organised crimes, drug syndicates and many more undesirable activities which pose security challenges to India as well due to its geographical proximity.
Frustrated opposition
It may be pertinent to mention that due to very well-choreographed anti-India propaganda launched by a frustrated opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and its all-time ally, Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), there was a noticeable increase in the adverse publicity in the recent past. Though no hard evidence is yet available at hand, it’s objectively safe to assume that it’s the Pakistan’s ill-famed InterServices Intelligence (ISI) which is behind scripting a blueprint reaching Tarique Rahman in London, who is despatching these plans for execution in Bangladesh. Their frustration was further heightened as their malicious programme of sabotaging elections, whipping up communal conflagration and causing a divide between India and Bangladesh crashed largely due to the determination of the people and, of course, the exceptionally robust alertness displayed by the Bangladesh intelligence and security agencies.
Now the question is how do India and Bangladesh address the issue of a rise in perceived anti-India tirade even if the Bangladesh Foreign Minister has said that it’s on its way out and has considerably come down. The two countries need to jointly chalk out an operational plan to beef up their counter-intelligence mechanism to thwart the ISI designs, worked out surreptitiously in Dhaka and London, where Tarique Rahman is operating from. Simultaneously, the Jamaat and the likeminded elements in Bangladesh must be identified with a renewed initiative and stern preventive action taken.
It will then be seen as a deterrent. This will also discourage the BNP and JeI rank and file to resort to any anti-India activity, including making an appeal for boycotting Indian goods. The wind must be taken off their sails and this looks like a do-able option.
Social media policing
These apart, it’s the social media policing which calls for a job on priority. It’s the social media which is being abused and misused by hundreds and thousands of people who are working overtime to vitiate anti-India propaganda to wean away Bangladesh from maintaining harmonious relations with India. Such hostile quarters need to be neutralised with the use of stateof-the-art technology by embarking on a joint Indo-Bangladesh operational project to foil the enemy designs to inflict harm on our interests.
While dealing with this menace, Bangladesh shouldn’t ignore the China factor. It’s a common knowledge that China, though not overtly, is peeved over the growing bonhomie in Indo-Bangladesh relations. The recent Hasina victory testifies to the reality that India and Bangladesh are closer than before against the backdrop of the new happenings. China being a close friend of Pakistan, in all probability, will do its utmost to impair the ties. But with the two countries’ vigilance and maturity, this could derail. There are pro-China elements in Bangladesh who are more than proactive. They may not be directly involved in anti-India propaganda but surely, they will not be averse to that if carried out by others.
This merits undivided attention. At this critical juncture when geopolitical chemistry is fast changing, India and Bangladesh ties occupy a position of priority. And no amount of anti-India sentiment should be allowed to upset the warmth as then it would be too costly for both the countries. Significantly, both the countries have shed blood for the creation of Bangladesh, and the country that was responsible for it is Pakistan. The same country is trying again to unsettle and inflict harm. Such an attempt must be pulverised to smithereens, come what may!
