Sheikh Hasina’s Stay in India Is Her Personal Choice: S Jaishankar

India

oi-Prakash KL

External
Affairs
Minister
S.
Jaishankar
has
said
that
former
Bangladeshi
Prime
Minister
Sheikh
Hasina’s
continued
stay
in
India
is
a
personal
choice
shaped
by
the
circumstances
that
forced
her
to
leave
her
country.

Speaking
at
the
HT
Leadership
Summit,
the
External
Affairs
Minister
addressed
questions
on
Hasina’s
presence
in
India
and
the
state
of
India-Bangladesh
relations.

Hasina
fled
to
India
in
August
last
year
after
her
15-year
rule
ended
in
violent
unrest
that
left
hundreds
dead
and
thousands
injured.
The
78-year-old
leader
was
last
month
sentenced
to
death
in
absentia
by
a
special
tribunal
in
Dhaka,
which
accused
her
of
“crimes
against
humanity” linked
to
her
government’s
crackdown
on
student-led
protests.
The
verdict
has
drawn
sharp
reactions
internationally,
with
human
rights
groups
questioning
the
fairness
of
the
trial
and
the
political
motivations
behind
it.

On
asking
if
Hasina
could
stay
in
India
indefinitely,
Jaishankar
responded
cautiously.
“Well,
that’s
a
different
issue,
isn’t
it?
She
came
here
in
a
certain
circumstance,
and
I
think
that
circumstance
clearly
sort
of
is
a
factor
in
what
happens
to
her.
But
again,
that
is
something
in
which
she
has
to
make
up
her
mind,” he
said,
underscoring
that
the
decision
ultimately
rests
with
Hasina
herself.

India’s
Emphasis
on
Democracy
in
Bangladesh

Talking
about
the
broader
bilateral
relationship,
Jaishankar
reiterated
India’s
position
that
Bangladesh
must
ensure
a
credible
democratic
process.
He
noted
that
political
actors
in
Dhaka,
particularly
those
now
in
power,
had
previously
raised
concerns
about
the
conduct
of
elections.
“If
the
issue
was
the
election,
the
first
order
of
business
would
be
to
do
a
fair
election,”
he
remarked,
highlighting
India’s
preference
for
democratic
stability
in
its
neighborhood.

Jaishankar
stressed
that
India
wishes
Bangladesh
well
and
hopes
to
see
the
will
of
its
people
reflected
through
transparent
democratic
mechanisms.
“As
far
as
we
are
concerned,
we
wish
Bangladesh
well.
We
think
as
a
democratic
country,
any
democratic
country
likes
to
see
the
will
of
the
people
ascertain
through
a
democratic
process,”
he
said.
He
added
that
he
was
confident
Bangladesh’s
democratic
outcomes
would
lead
to
a
“balanced
and
mature
view”
of
its
relationship
with
India.

Future
of
Bilateral
Ties

India
and
Bangladesh
share
deep
historical,
cultural,
and
economic
ties,
but
recent
political
upheaval
in
Dhaka
has
cast
uncertainty
over
the
trajectory
of
the
relationship.
Analysts
note
that
India’s
cautious
approach
reflects
both
its
strategic
interest
in
regional
stability
and
its
reluctance
to
be
drawn
into
Bangladesh’s
internal
political
disputes.

Jaishankar’s
comments
suggest
New
Delhi
will
continue
to
emphasize
democratic
values
while
leaving
Hasina’s
personal
choices
to
her
own
discretion.
As
Bangladesh
navigates
its
political
crisis,
India
appears
intent
on
maintaining
a
pragmatic
balance-supporting
democratic
processes
while
keeping
channels
open
for
future
cooperation.