Distinguished Professor Ali Riaz has published a commentary on the role of India in Bangladeshi politics, specifically its possible role in the upcoming election in January 2024. Published in the SouthAsiaSource, a publication of the Atlantic Council, the commentary also examines the relationship between the United States and India, as the two countries have diverged over the trajectory of democracy in Bangladesh under Sheikh Hasina’s government. The United States has taken several steps to encourage a free, fair, and inclusive election while the incumbent Hasina regime has insisted to hold the election under its supervision. India, on the other hand, had extended unqualified support to the ruling party since 2009, including during 2014 and 2018 elections, both considered by international observers as seriously flawed.
Opposition parties are demanding the resignation of the current government and holding the election under a neutral interim government. Written in the wake of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington as a state guest, Riaz examined the U.S.-India relationship, and underscored the need for the resolution of the divergence between them on the Bangladesh issue. Riaz writes: “It’s incumbent on the United States to let India know that they will follow through in its promise to defend Bangladesh’s democracy, and that its broader South Asia policy will not be shaped by its relationship with New Delhi. How India navigates the tension between its global aspirations and regional preferences will be revealing indeed.”
