Is India getting a big diplomatic message from Bangladesh PM Tariq Rahman’s first foreign visit? Will 15-17 big agreements with China bring a new turn in Bangladesh’s foreign policy? Does tension still persist in India-Bangladesh relations? Is Bangladesh preparing to create a new balance among regional powers by making a place in ASEAN and RCEP?
Bangladesh PM Tariq Rahman First Foreign Visit: At present, there has been an earthquake in the politics of South Asia which has surprised the strategic experts. Bangladesh’s newly elected Prime Minister Tariq Rahman is about to leave on his first official trip abroad, but the schedule of this trip has drawn silence in the diplomatic corridors of New Delhi. Traditionally, India has always been the first choice of the Prime Minister after the change of power in Bangladesh, but this time PM Tariq Rahman, breaking the shackles of tradition, has chosen Malaysia and China for his first foreign trip. This decision is not just a visit, but a sign of a big storm to come in the geopolitics of the subcontinent.
That 2-hour suspense at the airport: Did a small incident spoil the relationship?
After all, what happened that Bangladesh, which considered India its closest neighbor, suddenly started maintaining strategic distance? The bitterness behind this is believed to be related to a recent incident at Delhi Airport. In fact, Zaheed Ur Rahman, a very close aide of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, was stopped for more than two hours in the name of security check at Delhi Airport. This incident angered Dhaka so much that Bangladesh, citing its sovereignty and diplomatic sensitivity, summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner and lodged a formal strong protest. Diplomatic pundits believe that this ‘airport dispute’ has added fuel to the smoldering fire, due to which the hidden differences between the two countries have come out into the open.
What is the strategy behind ignoring India in the first visit?
According to the Foreign Ministry, Rahman will first go to Malaysia and meet Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim there. After this he will leave for a four-day visit to China, where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Political analysts believe that this may not be just a formal visit, but an indication of Bangladesh’s changing strategic priorities.
‘Maha-deal’ is going to happen in Beijing: China’s masterstroke on Teesta River!
Tariq Rahman’s four-day mega-visit to China is set to begin from June 23, right after meeting Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. There is suspense over the fact that 15 to 17 major bilateral agreements (MoUs) are going to be signed between Bangladesh and China during this visit. Rahman will directly meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang and President Xi Jinping. But the biggest shock for India is regarding ‘Teesta Project’. The sharing of Teesta river water between India and Bangladesh has been pending for years. Now China is looking to strengthen its presence in Bangladesh through heavy investment in this project and river management. Recently, Bangladesh has approved an infrastructure project worth US $ 340 million for the Chinese Economic Zone in Chattogram, for which China is giving huge concessional loans.
That period after the fall of Sheikh Hasina: Has New Delhi lost its old confidence?
No one can forget the coup and violent rebellion that took place in the year 2024, in which the government of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fell and she had to leave the country. After that, there was an unprecedented decline in India-Bangladesh relations during the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
Is the geopolitics of South Asia changing?
However, after Tariq Rehman’s election victory earlier this year, it seemed that relations would improve. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had congratulated him and invited him to come to New Delhi with his family. Even Indian Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri went to Dhaka to represent India at his swearing-in. But recent developments and Dhaka’s haste to seek Malaysia’s support to join ASEAN grouping and RCEP clearly show that Bangladesh is now tilting the balance of its foreign policy squarely towards the East. Only time will tell whether India will be able to control this damage.