Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : Opinion | Politics Or Necessity? The ‘Bangladeshi Infiltrator’ Question and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
The infiltration issue will certainly need to be resolved, but the ruling dispensation should exercise prudence in using it as an electioneering slogan, as doing so may strain relations between the two countries.
India-Bangladesh relations are currently at their lowest point since the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, when India, under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, fought a 13-day war that led to the breakup of Pakistan and the creation of a new Bengali-speaking nation.
Despite undergoing several military coups and turbulent transfers of power, one thing that has remained consistent across successive governments in Bangladesh is its relationship with India. The country has certainly experienced chaos and periods of intense political violence, as we are witnessing today, but Bangladesh’s national narrative has never been as anti-India as it is today.
After the ouster of Sheikh Hasina on 5 August 2024 and the appointment of Muhammad Yunus as Chief Advisor, Bangladesh is set to hold fresh elections in February 2026 and this time, the ‘Anti-India’ narrative has dominated the country’s political landscape. There have been several incidents of attacks against Hindu minorities, who are seen as supporters of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, a party now labelled as pro-India and, according to critics, her ‘pro-India’ stance was one of the big reasons why she was ousted from power.
After Hasina’s ouster, the anti-India narrative intensified and continues to dominate the streets of Bangladesh. As Bangladesh drifts away from India, it is seen moving closer to China and even to Pakistan, the country that carried out some of the worst atrocities in 1971 during Operation Searchlight. Pakistan and Bangladesh have also agreed to enhance defence cooperation, a collaboration that has happened for the first time after the 1971 liberation war.
The question that arises is this: why is India’s eastern neighbour, a country that India helped become what it is today, now turning against India? Has the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “Bangladeshi infiltration” political rhetoric, used during past Lok Sabha and in several state elections, harmed India’s relationship with Bangladesh? And is this one of the reasons why a long-time friend now appears to be turning into a foe?
PM Modi this month after laying the foundation stone for a ₹10,601-crore brownfield ammonia-urea plant in Dibrugarh district’s Namrup said, “Congress has no concern for the identity of Assam and its people. They are interested only in power and continuing with their anti-India agenda. Congress likes the illegal Bangladeshi migrants, and is protecting them after having settled them. This is the reason why Congress is opposing the ongoing exercise to correct the voters’ list,”
Similar political rhetoric has been used by the BJP’s top leadership and several BJP Chief Ministers, who have made poll promises to expel Bangladeshis and Rohingyas from India. The BJP has turned this into a central election agenda in several Bangladesh-bordering states such as West Bengal, Assam, Odisha etc. While this may serve the party’s political objectives, it raises serious questions about India’s policy toward Bangladesh.
While no one in India supports harboring illegal immigrants entering from Bangladesh, the question is whether this issue should be turned into a political rhetoric by the country’s largest party, one that governs several states as well as the Union government. Could the removal of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants not be carried out quietly, without allowing it to damage relations between the two nations?
Continuing such an anti-Bangladesh narrative may further antagonize India’s eastern neighbour, potentially worsening the situation and contributing to more attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, an issue the Ministry of External Affairs has already expressed concern about. India already faces a hostile neighbour on its western front, Pakistan, which has carried out cross-border terrorism for over two decades into India. With an already sensitive Northeast, New Delhi would not want to risk creating another security hotspot on its eastern border in Bangladesh.
The ruling dispensation has used ‘terrorism emanated from Pakistan’ rhetoric in several of its political campaigns during various central and state elections, and it has reaped them electoral benefits from this time and again. However, when we compare the BJP’s use of Pakistan in political rhetoric vis-à-vis its use of Bangladesh, it is important to recognize that Pakistan has historically been viewed as India’s long-term adversary, whereas the same cannot be said about Bangladesh.
While illegal infiltration from Bangladesh is a genuine concern and needs to be addressed, the Indian establishment has not been in conflict with the Bangladeshi government. On the contrary, relations between the two nations have largely remained warm.
The infiltration issue will certainly need to be resolved, but the ruling dispensation should exercise prudence in using it as an electioneering slogan, as doing so may strain relations between the two countries.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.