Hasina row fails to derail energy ties
Dhaka and Delhi appear determined to keep their strategic cooperation in the power and energy sectors on track despite an increasingly bitter diplomatic row over the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Such strategic engagement signals that both neighbours are seeking to insulate key areas of bilateral engagement from political tensions.
The message became evident on Thursday when newly appointed Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi paid a courtesy call on Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation in power and energy.
The meeting came only two days after Bangladesh lodged a strong protest over Sheikh Hasina’s participation in a public event in New Delhi on August 5, an issue that has further strained already fragile bilateral relations.
Dhaka had expected India to prevent the event but New Delhi did not intervene, saying that it was privately organised but such remarks prompted sharp criticism from Bangladesh.
Against that backdrop, Thursday’s discussions demonstrated that despite growing diplomatic friction, both countries continue to regard energy security and economic cooperation as areas that should remain insulated from political disputes.
According to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, High Commissioner Trivedi and Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation in the power and energy sectors.
The discussions centred on expanding cross border power and energy connectivity, described by both sides as a key pillar of the Bangladesh-India economic partnership.
Both countries reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing cooperation based on mutual interest and mutual benefit, with the objective of enhancing energy security, promoting sustainable development and contributing to the prosperity of the people of both countries.
The emphasis on continued cooperation came as State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam reiterated that Bangladesh remained committed to constructive engagement with India despite the diplomatic dispute over Hasina.
Speaking to journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, she stressed that Bangladesh and India shared a wide range of bilateral interests that required sustained dialogue.
“I believe both the governments and the people of Bangladesh and India want better relations.
But if convicted members of the Awami League, including its leader, continue carrying out conspiratorial activities from Indian soil and the Indian government does not stop them immediately, it will certainly become a matter of concern for the people of Bangladesh,” she said.
She said Bangladesh wanted to continue dialogue on energy cooperation, water sharing and border management.
“We want to sit together, we want dialogue and we want to resolve our bilateral issues through discussion.
The decision now rests with India on whether it will continue to allow convicted authoritarian figures to make such statements from its territory,” she said.
Responding to a question on whether Bangladesh’s diplomatic protest conflicted with ongoing cooperation with India, including energy imports, Shama Obaed said relations between neighbouring countries could not be defined by a single issue.
“Government to government relations are multidimensional. Bangladesh cannot remain stuck on a single issue. We have cooperation on energy, major discussions on water and border issues, and these dialogues must continue,” she said.
At the same time, she urged New Delhi to be more sensitive to the sentiments of the people of Bangladesh over the Hasina issue.
“This is a burning issue. It hurts those who fought in July, their families and the sentiments of the people of Bangladesh. India needs to show greater sensitivity,” she added.
Diplomatic observers note that the latest engagement reflects a broader pattern in Bangladesh India relations, where essential economic and infrastructure cooperation has largely continued despite recurring political disagreements.
The two countries maintained electricity trade, fuel supplies and wider energy cooperation even during the strained relations under the interim administration led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, when Dhaka repeatedly sought Sheikh Hasina’s extradition from India.
Similarly, shortly after the BNP led government assumed office and Bangladesh faced an acute diesel shortage, India agreed to supply diesel to help meet Bangladesh’s immediate energy requirements.
Such cooperation clearly underlines the strategic importance both countries attach to energy security irrespective of political tensions.
The continuation of energy engagement also comes as the two neighbours manage differences on other fronts.
Besides the Hasina issue, India has launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) film from Bangladesh, alongside China and Thailand, following allegations by Indian manufacturers that the products were being exported at unfairly low prices.
The Directorate General of Trade Remedies under India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry held a virtual oral hearing on August 6 as part of the investigation.
Despite these disputes, Iqbal-Trivedi developments suggest that both Dhaka and New Delhi continue to recognise that cooperation in strategically important sectors such as power and energy remains in the mutual interest of both countries above political differences.
Sources said that only continued engagement and dialogue can remove the obstacles in other areas of bilateral cooperations.
