Military-to-military cooperation in question as political crisis continues in Bangladesh
There are apprehensions over the future of cooperation that had significantly deepened over the years as India looked to counter Chinese influence in the neighbourhood, including by supplying military hardware to Dhaka
A soldier stands guard at the vandalised museum of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, father of Sheikh Hasina who resigned as Prime Minister on Monday, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina continues to remain at the Hindon Air Force Station near Delhi, where she landed after fleeing her country on Monday (August 5). The C130J aircraft that brought her to India has flown out of the base.
While uncertainty prevails in the neighbouring country, there are apprehensions over the future of the strong military-to-military cooperation that had significantly deepened over the years, especially under Ms. Hasina’s government, as India looked to counter Chinese influence in the neighbourhood, including by supplying military hardware to Dhaka.
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The military-to-military channels remain important lines of communication during the ongoing crisis, in addition to the diplomatic channels, as the Bangladesh Army is in charge to oversee the transition to an interim government.
Sources said Ms. Hasina continues to be in the ‘safe house’ since she arrived at Hindon and is expected to stay for another day or two till her next destination is finalised. Her departure was delayed after the prospect of asylum in the U.K. did not seem to materialise and now the United Arab Emirates has emerged as a possible option among others, two sources independently said.
India and Bangladesh have broad-based their defence and strategic cooperation, involving regular visits, training activities, bilateral and multilateral exercises, and more importantly, supply of military hardware by India. The Liberation War of Bangladesh of 1971, fought jointly by the Mukti Bahini and the Indian armed forces, and India’s finest military victories also reverberate strongly in the Indian military fraternity. India has also extended a $500-million defence Line of Credit to Bangladesh to procure military hardware.
In photos: Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina’s resignation
People wave the Bangladeshi flag as they celebrate the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.A Bangladeshi man raises a flag in front of a vehicle set on fire at the Ganabhaban, the Prime Minister’s residence, after Sheikh Hasina’s resignation in Dhaka, Bangladesh.After Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country, people loot a monitor, a computer and a duck from the Ganabhaban, the Prime Minister’s residence.People stand near vandalised, burnt-down cars at the Mohammadpur Police Station.People walk next to vandalised cars at the Mohammadpur Police Station after former PM Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.People visit the site of the vandalised statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the Bangladeshi nation.A member of the army stands guard as people gather at the entrance of the Parliament Building a day after the resignation of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.People visit the vandalised Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum.People gather at the entrance of the Parliament Building a day after the resignation of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. A banner hangs on the entrance of the Parliament Building that reads ‘Justice’.A view of a mural of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vandalised by protesters and adorned with a necklace of sandals.1/3″,””],
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