In the fog of shifting global alliances, Bangladesh seems to be writing its foreign policy suicide note. In a bewildering and potentially catastrophic turn, Bangladesh’s interim regime — lacking electoral legitimacy and driven by the winds of radical Islamist populism — is now tilting heavily towards China. What’s worse, this alignment appears not only deliberate but also designed to slight India, the very nation that once offered shelter, arms, and recognition to birth Bangladesh from the ashes of a genocide.
The bitter irony cannot be lost on anyone with a passing knowledge of South Asian history. In 1971, when Pakistan launched its brutal crackdown on the Bengali people, it was China that stood shoulder to shoulder with Islamabad, vetoing every move at the UN Security Council to thwart international intervention. Beijing and Rawalpindi — the original Axis of Denial — attempted to erase Bangladesh before it was even born. Yet, over five decades later, the descendants of the victims are now making cozy overtures to their former tormentors. This isn’t foreign policy; it’s historical amnesia — wrapped in deceit and served with betrayal.
The Hasina Paradox
At the heart of this shift lies a paradox. Sheikh Hasina, long portrayed as a secular leader who once championed strong ties with India, is now backed into a corner. Her latest term, achieved under widespread allegations of electoral manipulation and an opposition boycott, has stripped her regime of democratic legitimacy. But the firestorm she faces is not merely a reaction to political stagnation — it’s the result of a carefully orchestrated conspiracy.
The storm on the streets is being fuelled by a pseudo pro-Islamist student front — a group masquerading as revolutionaries but in truth, advancing a darker agenda steeped in sectarianism and political vengeance. These so-called student activists, far from being independent voices of dissent, are tools in a broader anti-Hasina campaign, echoing rhetoric that dangerously resembles the narratives peddled by forces hostile to Bangladesh’s founding values.
And lurking behind the curtain is another figure — Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Once lauded internationally, Yunus has, over time, allowed personal vendetta to eclipse principle. His long-standing feud with the Hasina government, born out of ego clashes and legal disputes, now seems to have morphed into something more sinister. Allegedly aligning with international pressure groups and domestic disruptors, Yunus’s actions betray Hasina and the democratic order he once claimed to represent.
In this volatile milieu, China presents itself as a new lifeline. But make no mistake — this friendship is not built on mutual respect. It’s an opportunistic alliance where Beijing sees a vulnerable state ripe for influence, while Dhaka sees a quick fix to its legitimacy crisis. To India, this sudden pivot is nothing short of betrayal. India, whose soil absorbed millions of refugees in 1971 and whose soldiers shed blood to liberate Bangladesh, is now being treated as a disposable ally — punished for its continued (and some may say overextended) support for the Hasina regime.
The Shadow of Pakistan
What makes this new axis all the more sinister is Pakistan’s invisible but unmistakable hand. Islamabad has long wished to reinsert itself into Dhaka’s geopolitical psyche. Unable to achieve that directly, it has cleverly outsourced the job to China. Pakistan is well aware that any India-China tension benefits its standing. If Bangladesh can be nudged into that vortex, it could be Islamabad’s backdoor to influence in Dhaka once more.
But this is not just about international strategy — it’s a question of national identity and moral compass. Bangladesh was not created to be a pawn between superpowers. It was carved out of a desire for dignity, democracy, and justice — none of which align with the values of China’s authoritarianism or Pakistan’s regressive fundamentalism.
Constitutional Vacuum, Strategic Collapse
So who gave this regime — technically an interim, unelected government — the authority to gamble with Bangladesh’s historic alliances? The burning question remains: does this administration or its Islamist surrogates in the streets have any constitutional mandate to reorient Bangladesh’s foreign policy?
There has been no referendum. No public consultation. No parliamentary debate. Just a shadowy backroom drift into the arms of Beijing, camouflaged by noise from fringe radicals who have no electoral standing. If this isn’t a foreign policy hijacking, then what is?
India, on its part, has so far responded with restraint. But New Delhi’s patience is not infinite. A hostile Bangladesh on its eastern flank, guided by pro-China instincts and covertly applauding Pakistan’s return to the theatre, would invite a strategic recalibration. India’s support for Bangladesh in 1971 was not transactional but civilizational. Yet, if Dhaka chooses to spit on that legacy, India must also reassess where it stands in this increasingly fragile equation.
The Cost of Betrayal
Bangladesh’s current trajectory is more than just a diplomatic misstep. It is a moral implosion. In its desperate bid to remain in power, the regime is not only endangering its sovereignty but eroding its national soul. By courting China and tolerating Pakistan’s silent handshake, Bangladesh risks becoming the very thing it fought to break free from in 1971 — a satellite of oppression, a footnote in someone else’s imperial strategy.
History has a long memory. And one day, when the fog clears, the people of Bangladesh will ask: Was it worth it?
