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Biden-Modi meeting
Bangladesh is in Modi's discussion
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is arriving in New York on June 21. President Biden will welcome him at the White House the next day.
Soumya Banerjee
New Delhi
Update: 17 June 2023, 23:36
US President Joe BidenFile photo: Reuters
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming US visit is set to further strengthen the defense ties between the two countries. At least two major contracts are set to be signed, one for the $3 billion state-of-the-art 'MQ-9B Sea Guardian' armed drone, and the other for India-made 'Tejas' fighter jet engines, which will be manufactured with the help of General Electric through technology transfer to state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in Karnataka. ).
Diplomatic sources in Delhi and Dhaka say that Bangladesh is looking forward to this visit as much as the eyes of the two countries are focused on this agreement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have an open discussion with President Joe Biden about the new visa policy that the United States has announced to make the elections of the National Assembly of that country 'fair, free and peaceful'.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra ModiPhoto: Reuters
The continuous pressure of the US around the election, reflected in the new visa policy, has left Bangladesh and India in a bit of a tizzy. The implementation of that policy, its potential impact on the geopolitics of South Asia and the question of electoral-centric regional stability are causes of India's uneasiness and concern.
The political and diplomatic circles of India and Bangladesh have talked to each other several times about this new decree of the United States. Bangladesh has also been assured that Prime Minister Modi will definitely discuss this with President Biden during his upcoming visit.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen recently attended the G-20 summit held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. There he had a private meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Elections, new visa policy, internal politics of Bangladesh and US 'pressure' were discussed between the two foreign ministers in detail.
India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met US National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan in New Delhi last week. In that meeting, he was told that it would not be right for the United States to take any action that would destroy India's interests and destroy the regional balance.
According to the diplomatic circles of the two countries, this clear opinion of India has been conveyed to Bangladesh. Earlier, Mustafizur Rahman, High Commissioner of Bangladesh assigned to India, had a meeting with Jaishankar in Delhi. The political situation in Bangladesh, new visa policy and democratic process and stability were also discussed in that meeting.
After the announcement of the new visa policy at the end of last May, Bangladesh has been repeatedly assured by Indian political and diplomatic circles that Prime Minister Modi will definitely raise the issue at the highest level during his visit to the US.
Bangladesh's eyes on Modi's visit are so fixed for natural reasons. Modi is arriving in New York on June 21. President Biden will officially welcome him to the White House the next day.
Bilateral talks between the two leaders were also held on the same day. When asked about the possibility of discussing US 'activity' around this visit and Bangladesh elections, a top official of the Indian government said last Friday that Prime Minister Modi discussed the neighbors in every meeting with President Biden. Both leaders are interested in their neighbors.
India has no role as a third country in mutual exchange between two independent and sovereign countries. From that point of view, India thinks that whatever is happening between Bangladesh and the United States is an internal matter of the two countries. As a result, India is not making any official comments regarding the new visa policy and US pressure on elections. India has repeatedly said that it is up to the people of Bangladesh who they will vote for and which party they will support. India does not exercise rights in this matter, nor will it. But India cannot turn its eyes away from those events as it has a direct impact on the political dynamics of Bangladesh. India is therefore naturally interested in the regional and geopolitical situation.
Apart from that, as much as the United States is concerned about the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region, so is India, and Bangladesh's importance in this regard is infinite. Realizing that importance, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has recently announced her country's policy on this issue. According to informed sources, Prime Minister Modi will explain to the US what Hasina's stay in power means for regional interests. According to various sources, Modi will tell Biden that the question of not allowing regional separatist and religious fundamentalist forces to prevail over his stay in power is deeply related. Explain that nothing should be done to encourage regional evil.
India's second thought is about China. The US is also worried about this big power in Asia. China's economic influence on Bangladesh is considerable. Although Bangladesh is maintaining a balance with China in political and diplomatic terms. India will convince the United States that it will not be right to force Bangladesh to do something that destroys that balance or regional stability. It will also be understood that Bangladesh's over-leaning towards China is not good for either the US or India.
Diplomatic sources in Delhi feel that it is important to create an environment in which democracy in Bangladesh will expand naturally, elections will be fair and free, regional stability will not be damaged and the interests of the United States and India will be protected.
According to these quarters, the repetition of the previous two elections of Bangladesh's national parliament and India's support to the Sheikh Hasina government is not at all desirable. This quarter also claims that India has informed Bangladesh about that. They think that after the announcement of the new visa policy of the United States, the local elections of that country are being held smoothly. It's good time. National elections also need to be conducted in such a fair and peaceful manner.
Bangladesh's High Commissioner to India, Mustafizur Rahman, unequivocally informed that this is the aim of Bangladesh last Friday.
Participating in an event organized by 'Foreign Correspondents' Club' in New Delhi, he said, 'Bangladesh is committed to making elections fair, peaceful and free. It is also important to continue the democratic process of the country.
It is also the goal of the international world including the United States. We want to see the announcement of the United States in that larger context.
Undoubtedly, the electoral momentum of Bangladesh depends a lot on understanding the mind of the United States after the Modi-Biden meeting.
