DHAKA: After the Maldives, an “India Out” drive is now churning in Bangladesh, dropping clues that the long bottled-up anti-Delhi sentiment is finally out and flooding the country.
Seemingly stemming from the opposition’s accusations of New Delhi’s meddling in the country’s domestic politics, especially the recent elections, which saw Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid securing another term, this campaign is growing louder and louder.
The Southern Asian nation harbours a long-standing anti-India sentiment, which has redoubled over the past years, hitting a flashpoint with the public pouring into the streets of Dhaka to celebrate India’s defeat in the Cricket World Cup final in 2023.
Following the recent polls in Bangladesh, where Hasina walked away with her 4th term amid massive opposition protests, the “India Out” drive saw an exponential escalation.
As part of this drive, Bangladeshi diaspora and opposition parties have been fuelling this anti-India movement, strongly urging people to boycott Indian goods.
India Out Campaign in Maldives
This campaign has striking similarities to a bold initiative taken by the Maldives, where the newly-elected President Mohamed Muizzu used anti-India sentiment to clinch the helm of power.
In March, India started withdrawing military personnel surveillance aircraft in the Maldives after President Muizzu ordered them to leave.
President Muizzu, who was sworn in October last year, raised the “India Out” slogan and pledged to boot out Indian troops deployed in the Maldives to keep an eye on its expansive waters. New Delhi agreed to pull out its 89 troops and their support staff from Maldives by May 10.
In Dhaka, this drive has unfolded against the backdrop of India’s historically strong relations with Hasina’s government and strained ties with the opposition. This has led many to believe that New Delhi”likes” the incumbent political order in Dhaka.
Analysts say Bangladesh’s economy heavily relies on imports from India —16.16 billion opposition parties in financial year 2022. These imports include fuel, fertilizer, food, and industrial raw materials, and in case of a boycott or a drop in imports of Indian goods, Bangladesh can look to China for its domestic commercial needs.
It’s not clear, how far this drive goes, but it cannot be disputed that Dhaka is right now primed for a change of heart politically, exposing New Delhi’s blatant manipulation of regional government to its vested advantage.
