Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has retaliated against a faction of opposition leaders, who are amplifying efforts to fuel anti-India sentiments in the country, following her fourth consecutive win in the general election.
Reminiscent of a similar movement in the Maldives led by current President Mohamed Muizzu, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) opposition has spearheaded a “Boycott India” campaign. They accuse Awami League’s Hasina of being “pro-India” and alleging Indian influence her election win in January.
Last month, BNP leader Zainul Abedin Farroque said, “India’s position on the election went against people’s expectations, which led some Bangladeshis to launch the boycott campaign.” Another senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said: “India does not support the people of Bangladesh, but the Awami League. This is why people are venting their anger by boycotting Indian products.”
Bangladesh PM Hasina challenges BNP leaders amid India boycott campaign, asks “why they don’t burn their wives’ Indian sarees”, not use Indian spices in the kitchen. pic.twitter.com/twbYis1lJv— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) March 31, 2024
Hasina Hits Back
After remaining silent initially, Hasina recently confronted BNP leaders. The leader of Awami League, known for her affinity for saris and India, questioned the BNP’s anti-India stance during a rally. Addressing the Awami League’s Independence Day discussion in Dhaka last week, the Bangladesh PM said: “A BNP leader has burnt his shawl. How many Indian sarees do the wives of these BNP leaders have? I saw BNP ministers’ wives selling sarees imported from India before Eid.”
“If the BNP leaders have truly boycotted Indian products, they will burn their wives’ Indian sarees. “They must answer if they can eat without Indian spices. I want to know if they have truly boycotted Indian products,” she was quoted as saying by the country’s English news portal bdnews24. Her strong rebuttal to the opposition underlines the deep-rooted political and economic ties between Bangladesh and India, which have been strengthened under the Narendra Modi government in India.
Hasina’s comments came as she sought India’s cooperation last month to import electricity from Bhutan using its land. During the meeting with High Commissioner Pranay Verma, she also urged the Indian government to remove the anti-dumping measures for importing jute and jute goods from Bangladesh. At the same meeting, Verma invited the prime minister to visit India after the Indian National Election and she accepted the invitation.
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