If US sanctions on Bangladesh increase, India will play its role: MJ Akbar

Former Indian state minister for external affairs MJ Akbar said that there is no chance of a military coup in Bangladesh.

He said this during a discussion event over India-Bangladesh relations organised by civil society group ‘India Narrative’ in Kolkata on Monday evening.

Akbar said that if Bangladesh again goes under military dictatorship, the United Nations (UN) will impose various sanctions. Hence, there is no chance of Bangladesh again going under dictatorship, he opined.

Akbar, who is also a veteran journalist and editor, is one of the main individuals from India who keep an eye on Bangladesh’s political situation, analyse it and report their opinion to the Indian government.

When asked if Bangladesh’s current government is falling victim to the sanction politics of the US, the former state minister from BJP said, “India has its own view on Sheikh Hasina. We believe that she is fighting for the country’s democracy just like her father had fought for the country’s freedom. She has established democracy over there.”

The BJP leader was also asked what role the Indian government will have if the number of US sanctions on Bangladesh increases.

“We can’t openly say what India would do. But we will definitely do what is needed,” answered Akbar.

He also gave a recent example on what India can do, “India let Russian ship land in the Haldia port in West Bengal. All of the goods from that ship was unloaded and later shipped to Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. Due to the US sanction, Bangladesh couldn’t let the Russian ship land at its port.”

However, officials from Dhaka said that the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant goods from the Russian ship couldn’t be unloaded at the Haldia port.

Bangladeshi writer Syed Badrul Ahsan was the other speaker at the event.

Badrul was asked what could be the issues in Bangladesh’s upcoming general elections. He said, “Fixing the country’s economy and the government’s failure or success in curbing corruption could play a huge role.”

He also spoke about the need of a free election.