Indias relations with Bangladesh and China to be impacted by election

Bangladesh to Hold First Elections Since 2024 Ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

On February 12, Bangladesh will hold its first elections since the ousting of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party in 2024. The interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been governing the country since then.

The two main parties competing for power in this month’s polls are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JIB). Both parties began campaigning in late January. The Awami League, which had close ties with India, has been barred from these elections due to its role in the 2024 student-led protests.

Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in exile in India, was found guilty of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters during the unrest, resulting in the deaths of 1,400 people. She was tried in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh and sentenced to death.

India, Pakistan, and China are watching closely as they have significant interests in the country’s geopolitical position. India is Bangladesh’s largest trading partner in Asia, with bilateral trade worth $11.1 billion between April 2023 and March 2024. However, tensions between the two countries have increased since Hasina fled to India.

Pakistan has maintained a warm rapprochement with Bangladesh since Hasina’s ousting, while China has deepened its strategic ties with the country. Political analysts say that Bangladesh’s geopolitical positions have undergone a “paradigm shift” under Hasina’s leadership.

The election outcome is expected to be closely watched by India, Pakistan, and China, as it may impact their interests in the region. The Indian government has imposed restrictions on exports between the two countries due to ongoing tensions.

Source: Al Jazeera