Sheikh Hasina resigns as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and flies to India leaving New Delhi in a quandary
It was writing on the wall which Sheikh Hasina the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh could not read. The people had turned against her. No wonder she had no choice but to resign and leave for the friendly country, India. The protests over the past few months paralysed Bangladesh. The initial spark was the students’ demand for doing away with the reservation for the relatives of freedom fighters which evolved into a broader demand for political reforms and the resignation of Hasina Government. The unrest reached a crescendo, with more than 100 deaths in violent clashes between protesters and security forces. Protesters eventually stormed her official residence. Sheikh Hasina's political career has been a roller coaster ride. She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader and first President of Bangladesh. Hasina's political journey began in earnest after the assassination of her father and most of her family members in 1975. Exiled in India during the subsequent military regimes in Bangladesh, Hasina was elected as the President of the Awami League in 1981. She returned to Bangladesh in 1981. She was instrumental in reviving the Awami League and making it a formidable political force.
Sheikh Hasina first became Prime Minister in 1996 after the Awami League won the general elections. Allegations of corruption and political instability led to her party's defeat in the 2001 elections. But she returned to power in 2009 after the Awami League's landslide victory in the 2008 elections. Her subsequent terms as Prime Minister (2009-2024) have been marked by significant economic growth but also highhandedness which ultimately led to her downfall. Her tenure has been marked by efforts to consolidate power, leading to accusations of authoritarianism and suppression of dissent. But the fact remains that under her leadership, Bangladesh has made significant strides in poverty reduction, women's empowerment, and achieving key development milestones. After a long rule of 15-years she was out of sync with the ground realities; calling people traitors and clamping curfew and issuing shooting orders were grave mistakes which she had to pay for. Her ouster has put New Delhi in fix. India will now have to navigate the uncharted choppy waters of diplomacy in the Bay of Bengal. The alternatives to Hasina's government include the right-wing Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the Jatiya Party, and the army, all of which perceive India as a dominant influence and would like to keep her at bay. The volatility in Bangladesh raises security concerns for India, particularly in the border regions. Sheikh Hasina's departure has significantly altered the political dynamics. No matter who replaces Hasina it would adversely affect Indo-Bangladesh relations. Bangladesh may now move closer to China. New Delhi will have to deal with the interim government and make friends with the BNP and Jatiya party not to mention the army Generals who would be calling the shots for a while till new elections take place.
