‘China, Pak gaining influence in B'desh'
New Delhi Foreign policy experts have warned the parliamentary committee on external affairs against the increasing strategic foothold of China and, to some extent, Pakistan in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. The experts added that media hype is adding to the adversities. 'China, Pak gaining influence in B'desh'
Former foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, dean of JNU's School of International Studies Amitabh Mattoo and former Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Riva Ganguly Das, along with retired Lt. General Syed Ata Hasnain, briefed the members of the panel, led by Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor, during a meeting on the 'Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship' on Friday.
Tharoor later said, 'Four first-class experts gave us great insights... You will see our report in the next few weeks... We didn't discuss (the issue of Bangladeshis living in India). But we were told about a figure that the number of Bangladeshis coming to our country has lessened now.'
According to functionaries, some experts expressed concern over how China and Pakistan are making inroads in Bangladesh since the students' revolt led to the ouster of former premier Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
India-Bangladesh relations have been in free fall since the caretaker government led by Yunus assumed office after Hasina was ousted. The two sides have repeatedly clashed over Dhaka's handling of the repression of Bangladesh's Hindus, with New Delhi calling for steps to protect the minority.
In April this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Yunus on the sidelines of the Bimstec summit in Thailand. 'I reiterated India's support for peace, stability, inclusivity and democracy in Bangladesh. Discussed measures to prevent illegal border crossings and expressed our serious concern for the safety and well-being of Hindus and other minorities,' Modi later said in a post on X.
On Friday, the experts told the panel that the influx of illegal Bangladeshis in India has reduced drastically, even as a section of the media has made it a major issue. The experts also felt that the media hype also remains a major issue in restoring India-Bangladesh ties.
According to people familiar with the matter, BJP MP Kiran Choudhry,recalled India's role in liberating Bangladesh, noting that her father Brigadier Atma Singh of 17 Kumaon Regiment had played a heroic role in the 1971 war and had suffered bullet injuries. Singh was called the 'founding father' of the regiment and his unit battle honours.
Another MP asked if South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation could be revived to counter China's attempts to grow its influence in the region, and also floated the idea of exchange of journalists to boost people-to-people engagement with Bangladesh.
As New Delhi and Dhaka are set to meet in the coming months to renew the Ganga water treaty, experts also discussed the geostrategic situation and the importance of data sharing for Ganga and Teesta.
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