India Backs Fair Bangladesh Polls, Urges Calm

India on Friday reiterated its support for free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in Bangladesh, while maintaining a cautious stance on the return of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman to Dhaka ahead of national elections scheduled for February.

Responding to questions on Rahman’s return after 17 years of self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the development should be viewed strictly in the context of elections. He underlined that India’s position remains consistent and neutral, emphasising democratic processes rather than individual political actors.

This position mirrors New Delhi’s response to repeated queries about the ban imposed on the Awami League by Bangladesh’s interim government. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose party was outlawed in May, has been in India since August last year following her ouster.

At the weekly briefing, Jaiswal faced several questions on whether an election without the Awami League could genuinely be described as inclusive and whether India would recognise such a process. He maintained that India stands for elections that are free, fair, inclusive and conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, adding that all political elements and persuasions should be allowed to participate.

Rahman, effectively the head of the BNP and the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and slain President Ziaur Rahman, returned to Bangladesh on Thursday to a large public reception. With little indication that the Awami League ban will be lifted soon, India is treading carefully, particularly given its historically strained relationship with the BNP. However, officials acknowledge that the BNP remains a known political entity for India, with established institutional channels, unlike several newer forces that have emerged since Hasina’s removal 16 months ago.

Alongside electoral concerns, India expressed strong alarm over the worsening situation for minorities in Bangladesh. Jaiswal voiced “great concern” over what he described as unremitting hostility against minorities, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, and condemned the recent lynching of a Hindu youth in Mymensingh. He said New Delhi expects those responsible to be brought to justice.

According to the spokesperson, independent sources have documented more than 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities during the tenure of the interim government, including killings, arson and land-grab cases. He stressed that such incidents cannot be dismissed as media exaggeration or reduced to mere political violence.

Jaiswal also addressed questions on whether India was considering sanctions or a review of development projects and broader bilateral cooperation in light of rising anti-India rhetoric in Bangladesh. He said India continues to favour peace and stability and remains committed to strengthening ties with the people of Bangladesh.

Diplomatic tensions have intensified over the past 10 days, with protests taking place outside diplomatic missions in both countries. In Bangladesh, the July Oikyo coalition—largely comprising youth groups that emerged after the July–August 2024 uprising—has demonstrated outside Indian missions, demanding the extradition of Sheikh Hasina following a death sentence awarded to her by a tribunal in November. In India, Hindutva groups have protested outside Bangladeshi diplomatic posts to condemn the lynching of the Hindu youth.

Despite the growing strain, New Delhi has signalled it will continue to engage cautiously, keeping its focus on democratic norms, minority safety and regional stability.