Amid strained relations between India and Bangladesh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is likely to attend the state funeral of Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Wednesday.
Zia’s death comes shortly after her son and BNP’s de facto chief, Tarique Rahman, returned to election-bound Bangladesh after spending 17 years in exile.
Jaishankar’s visit is being seen as an outreach by New Delhi at a time when ties with Dhaka have deteriorated. Relations worsened after former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina was ousted after a student-led uprising last year.
Khaleda Zia served as Prime Minister between 1991 and 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006. During her tenure, she was often viewed as a political counterweight to the Awami League’s close relationship with India.
During both her terms, Bangladesh expanded ties with China, a move that caused concern in New Delhi. In her second term, Dhaka moved closer to Beijing, which emerged as Bangladesh’s main supplier of military equipment.
With Muhammad Yunus heading the interim government, India remains cautious about Bangladesh moving closer to Pakistan and China. Tarique Rahman, considered the frontrunner in the upcoming elections in the neighbouring country, has so far adopted a measured tone ahead of his return to Dhaka.
In May, Rahman questioned the legitimacy of the interim administration making long-term foreign policy decisions without an electoral mandate.
While speaking at rally in Dhaka, he said Bangladesh would not align closely with either India or Pakistan. “Not Dilli, not Pindi, Bangladesh before everything,” he had stated.
Rahman had also flayed radical political groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami, which was once allied with the BNP. He pointed to Jamaat’s support for Pakistan during the 1971 war.
India is aware that ties between Dhaka and Islamabad improved during Khaleda Zia’s tenure. However, that shift was influenced by Jamaat, which is now at odds with the BNP, giving New Delhi more room to engage than in the past.
Under Khaleda Zia and her father Ziaur Rahman, Bangladesh’s position was that its foreign and domestic policies should not function under India’s shadow, despite India’s role in the country’s liberation in 1971. In that context, Rahman’s recent call for “Bangladesh first” reflects the continuation of his family’s political approach.
Also Read: Khaleda Zia, former Bangladesh prime minister, dies at 80
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