Shuttle diplomacy tests Dhaka, Delhi thaw
A flurry of high-level contacts between Bangladesh and India in recent days has highlighted a paradox in their relationship: political trust remains strained, yet neither side appears willing to allow bilateral ties to slide into prolonged confrontation.
The latest diplomatic activity involving Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two countries’ security establishments suggests that both Dhaka and New Delhi are testing whether sustained dialogue can create space to manage their differences.
The immediate test came when Trivedi met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday. Bangladesh used the meeting to reiterate its request for India to expedite the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and return suspects accused of killing Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha.
Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman subsequently told journalists that Bangladesh had raised both matters with the Indian envoy. He said Dhaka had provided the necessary documents concerning the Hadi case and expected India to respond positively to its requests.
As the Hasina issue remains particularly sensitive, Bangladesh wants her extradition after her conviction in Bangladesh, while her continued presence in India and her political activities from there have become a major source of friction between the two countries.
Khalilur also said India had expressed regret over the August 5 incident involving Hasina in New Delhi. Dhaka, however, made clear that it expected India to ensure that future activities by Hasina did not undermine Bangladesh’s state institutions, especially the pillar of judiciary.
After meeting Tarique Rahman, Trivedi described the discussion as optimistic and said there was nothing between the two countries that could not be resolved through dialogue.
In an unusual piece of diplomatic movement, Trivedi rushed to New Delhi shortly after his Dhaka meetings with Tarique Rahman and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed separately on the same day and met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Mod to convey the message.
Indian media reported that the envoy briefed Modi on his discussions in Dhaka and sought his guidance on strengthening bilateral relations. New Delhi also released photographs of the meeting, giving the encounter considerable public visibility.
The decision to publicise the Modi-Trivedi meeting was significant. Diplomatic consultations of this nature are often conducted without extensive publicity, particularly when relations are politically sensitive.
By making the meeting visible, New Delhi appeared to signal that Bangladesh remains a matter of importance at the highest level of Indian policymaking, observers said.
More importantly, Indian intelligence chief Parag Jain at the same time visited Dhaka and held talks with Bangladesh’s security establishment. Neither side, however, disclosed substantive details of the discussions. Information Adviser Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman also refrained from revealing details of the meeting, saying it ‘normal engagement.’
The current shuttle diplomacy therefore appears to be operating on several levels at once: political engagement through the prime minister and high commissioner, formal diplomatic communication through the foreign ministries, and discreet security contacts between intelligence establishments.
The question is whether these contacts can translate into substantive progress on the issues that have caused the current strain.
Meanwhile, India has invited Tarique Rahman to attend the BRICS outreach programme in New Delhi in September. But Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said after his meeting with the Indian envoy that Bangladesh had not yet decided whether the prime minister would attend.
Former University of Dhaka professor of International Relations Dr Imtiaz Ahmed told The New Nation that Bangladesh should make the decision on the basis of its own national interests rather than allowing the India factor to dominate the calculation.
He said Dhaka should consider carefully what it could gain by attending and what it might lose by staying away.
Imtiaz also stressed that BRICS should not be regarded simply as an Indian grouping. China and Russia played central roles in the formation and development of the grouping.
In his view, Tarique Rahman’s participation could create valuable diplomatic opportunities.
“BRICS is a major economic grouping. If Prime Minister goes, he can hold side-line meetings with leaders of major countries,” Imtiaz said.
Such meetings, he argued, could be particularly useful for Bangladesh at a time when it needs investment, economic partnerships and stronger relations with major global economies.
“Getting appointments with these leaders is also very difficult,” he said, suggesting that the opportunity should not be dismissed simply because the event is being held in India.
Imtiaz said Bangladesh should not allow its foreign policy to become dependent on the preferences of any single country.
“If necessary, Bangladesh can continue its differences with India. The important thing is to see what serves our own interests,” he said.
Attending a multilateral gathering in India does not necessarily mean accepting India’s position on bilateral disputes. Similarly, refusing to attend does not automatically strengthen Bangladesh’s negotiating position, he said.
