US Instigated Bangladesh Coup Knowing It Would Hurt India: Expert

Some officials in the Indian security establishment believe that the "US-backed coup" against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was a "direct retribution" by the Biden administration against India over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Moscow, an Indian think-tank chief has told Sputnik India.

"We have seen palpable friction between India and the US over the alleged (Gurpatwant Singh) Pannun plot, human rights and of late, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia last month. In fact, some in Indian security establishment believe that the regime change in Bangladesh is a retribution against Modi for visiting Moscow," remarked Dr Abhinav Pandya, Director, and CEO of Usanas Foundation.

He reckoned that Washington was probably aware of the fact that the removal of Hasina, viewed as "pro-India", would complicate New Delhi's standing as a major power in its own neighbourhood.

Pandya went on to highlight India's concerns about the "negative role" played by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) — Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)* coalition the last time they were in power between 2001 and 2006.

"Back then, we saw instances of infiltration of radical Islamists into the Indian border from Bangladesh. The BNP-led government used to allow arms transfers from Chattogram port to militants in the Indian North-East to fuel insurgency in the region. There was also a spurt in attacks on the Hindu minorities. Unfortunately, we are again seeing a resurgence of anti-India and anti-Hindu sentiment in the country after Hasina's ouster," stated Pandya.

Further, Pandya remarked that the wounds of the 1971 Liberation War, when India went against the will of the US and helped in the creation of Bangladesh from Pakistan, were still "festering" in the psyche of the Deep State.

"It was a humiliation which the US is yet to get over. One must not forget that Pakistan was a key US ally in Asia, part of the Southeast Asian Treaty Organisation (SEATO) during the Cold War. At the time, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) openly collaborated with the then US-backed Pakistani government to oppose Indian and Bangladeshi forces. Even today, radical forces in Bangladesh and Pakistan are known to enjoy close ties," the pundit remarked.

He noted that "linkages" between US Ambassador to Dhaka Peter Haas and BNP-Jamaat leaders have become visible in recent months, evidenced by their meetings with the American envoy.

The expert further highlighted that the US was looking to make strategic inroads in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) with the help of India. He emphasised that this was part of US' larger global strategy to counter China, in which it views India as a crucial partner.

"Recent India-US joint statements and the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting (FMM) statement call for increasing cooperation in South Asia. However, India has been clear that it won't be part of any US-led alliance framework. Generally speaking, India's foreign policy has evolved from being non-aligned during the Cold War to being multi-aligned at present. In both the cases, India has continued to retain its strategic autonomy," Pandya explained.

Both countries joint statements on South Asia indicated that US saw India as a "bulwark" against China, he said.

Meanwhile, the expert asserted that Indian policy-makers were wary of donning such a role, adding that New Delhi has consistently rejected American mediation efforts in the border dispute with China.

India and US Divergence on Bangladesh

The tone and tenor of Indian and American statements on Hasina's ouster were markedly different, Pandya emphasised.

"I am not surprised that the US hasn’t been pointedly criticising violent protests and vandalism which took place in Bangladesh in the lead-up to Hasina’s ouster. In fact, they are the ones who have been responsible in a major way in orchestrating, or fomenting this coup," the think tank chief asserted.

Pandya mentioned that the US State Department "welcomed" the formation of an "interim government" in Bangladesh. On Tuesday, White House's Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called upon the new state heads to "carefully and credibly investigate all attacks" which took place in the lead-up to Hasina's ouster, in a bid to increase pressure on the former 76-year-old PM.

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Ben Cardin also hailed the coup against the democratically-elected leader of Bangladesh as "transformative power of collective action".

"After more than a decade of a government that systematically stifled opposition, manipulated the courts, and weaponized the security services against its own citizens, today we celebrate the renewed opportunity for Bangladesh to restore a democracy based on its constitutional principles," Cardin said in a statement on Tuesday.

On the other hand, Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar told the Parliament on Tuesday that New Delhi remained deeply concerned about the situation in Bangladesh, as he took note of attacks on public infrastructure and minorities in the lead-up to Hasina's flight from Dhaka to New Delhi.

On Wednesday, India also reduced its diplomatic presence in the country by temporarily closing down its mission in Sylhet amid security concerns.

Commenting on the differing outlooks of India and the US, former Indian Ambassador Anil Trigunayat, a Distinguished Fellow at New Delhi-based think tank Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), castigated Washington for behaving like a "hyper power".

"The US is sitting 10,000 kms away and commenting like a hyper power. But Bangladesh is India's neighbourhood, where we have Indian citizens, Indian businesses and interests. Hence, our concern for the country's safety, security and stability is natural," Trigunayat told Sputnik.

He emphasised that India has always stood for people of Bangladesh, as both countries are connected by culture and history.

* designated terrorist organization by Bangladesh and Russia

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