India had appealed to the US not to put pressure on Sheikh Hasina, to be lenient: report

A year before Sheikh Hasina resigned as Bangladesh PM and left the country, Indian officials asked their US counterparts to stop pressuring the former Bangladeshi prime minister, The Washington Post reported, citing Indian and US officials.

Hasina, 76, has been publicly criticised by US diplomats for jailing thousands of her rivals and critics ahead of general elections in January 2024.

The US administration has imposed sanctions on a Bangladeshi police unit accused of kidnapping and killing people led by an Awami League leader and has threatened to impose visa restrictions on Bangladeshis accused of undermining democracy or violating human rights.

Be gentle with your rhetoric
During the high-level meetings, Indian officials urged the US to tone down its rhetoric on Bangladesh. They argued that if the opposition gains power through open elections, it could turn Bangladesh into a hub for Islamist groups, threatening India’s national security. “You look at it at the level of democracy, but for us, the issues are much more serious and existential,” said an Indian official, speaking to the Washington Post on condition of anonymity.

He added, “There were a lot of conversations with the Americans in which we said, ‘This is a core concern for us, and unless we have some sort of strategic consensus, you cannot take us as a strategic partner.’” This led the Biden administration to drop threats of further sanctions against Hasina’s regime, disappointing many Bangladeshis.

However, according to the report, US officials said it was a planned move linked to Indian lobbying. Was the situation in Bangladesh mishandled? Prime Minister Hasina was forced to flee to India after protesters defied curfew orders imposed by the military and marched on her official residence.

A US official said, “There is always a need to strike a balance in Bangladesh, because the situation on the ground is complex in many places, and you want to work with your partners in a way that may not be in line with the expectations of the American people.”

Differences emerged in the Biden administration over how to handle Bangladesh ahead of January elections. People familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that then-ambassador Peter Haass and others called for a tougher stance against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. According to the report, some US officials also considered the consequences following India’s protest, which urged the Biden administration to ease pressure on Sheikh Hasina.