Chaos in Dhaka and tension with Delhi; Which way is Bangladesh heading?
From the Diplomat, Thursday night (Bangladesh time) when the death of Sharif Usman Hadi, one of the leaders of the country’s popular revolution that overthrew the government of Sheikh Hasina, shook the entire country, the atmosphere in the capital of this South Asian country transformed as if it were the atmosphere of the time of the overthrow of the former prime minister’s government.
According to reports, this was the same Sharif Usman Hadi who had decided to participate in the 14th Bahman elections in Bangladesh in order to enter the political space of the country and bring about a change in the structure of the country, but he was killed by Sheikh Hasina’s supporters, and this news ignited street anger, so that by the next night, the initial protests turned into mourning ceremonies, newspaper offices and cultural institutions were set on fire, and political and anti-Indian slogans filled the air.
Therefore, it was from here that the Bangladesh crisis went beyond the boundaries of street unrest and was dragged into political tension and diplomacy with India; a situation that has now taken the power equations in this South Asian country to a new and risky stage.
In fact, as the protests moved past the initial phase, signs were emerging that the Bangladesh crisis would no longer be limited to street anger or internal political disputes, and attacks on media outlets and government buildings gradually gave way to targeting foreign symbols, especially Indian interests and diplomatic centers; a shift that indicated that the protests had entered a new phase; with rallies taking place in front of places associated with India in Dhaka and several other cities, and the anti-India atmosphere noticeably intensifying.
At the same time, New Delhi’s response to these developments was cautious but worrying, with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs expressing “serious concern” about the safety of its diplomats and citizens and demanding immediate guarantees of protection for diplomatic missions.
Therefore, the summoning of the Bangladeshi ambassador in Delhi and the increased security around Indian missions were a clear sign that the Bangladeshi crisis had become an issue beyond the country’s internal borders.
At the center of this growing tension, Sheikh Hasina’s name once again became a hot spot.