**Hasina, Floods, Visas: Key Issues Affecting India-Bangladesh Relations..

 **Bangladesh Opposition Demands Sheikh Hasina’s Extradition from India Amid Rising Tensions.

28 Aug 2024

Last September, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a special guest at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, highlighting the strong relationship between the two countries.

A year later, that close association has become a challenge for India. This month, student protests led to Hasina's ousting after 15 years in power, prompting her to seek refuge in India..

**Ongoing Issues Straining India-Bangladesh Relations**

Weeks after Sheikh Hasina’s removal, anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh remains high. This tension is reflected in demands for her extradition and accusations that India is using visas and water resources as leverage against its neighbor.

Here’s a look at the current issues affecting relations between the two countries:

**Opposition Demands for Hasina’s Extradition**

Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh on August 5, arriving at a military base near New Delhi, where she was met by India’s National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval. Since then, she has been reportedly residing in the Indian capital region.

Calls for Hasina’s extradition are intensifying. On Monday, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, general secretary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), urged India to extradite Hasina so she can face trial in Bangladesh. Muhammed Quader, chairman of the Jatiya Party and former opposition leader of the dissolved Bangladeshi parliament, also supported this demand.

“India should assist Bangladesh in holding her accountable for the significant harm she has caused,” Alamgir stated. Hasina faces multiple legal challenges, including murder investigations.

Last week, Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus, revoked Sheikh Hasina’s diplomatic visa. This leaves uncertainty about the duration of Hasina's legal stay in India, as the Indian government has not yet addressed the matter publicly.

Ali Riaz, a professor and political scientist at Illinois State University, noted that many in Bangladesh are calling for Hasina’s extradition to hold her accountable for alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings that occurred during her 15 years in power.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a paramilitary force, has been sanctioned by the United Nations due to its involvement in killings and disappearances.

Since Sheikh Hasina assumed office in 2009, Human Rights Watch reported last year that security forces were responsible for "over 600 disappearances.

**Is India Responsible for the Floods in Bangladesh?**

In August, Bangladesh and parts of northeastern India, including Tripura, Assam, and Meghalaya, experienced heavy rainfall...

**Is India Responsible for the Floods in Bangladesh?**

On August 23, Bangladesh's Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief reported that about 190,000 people had been relocated to emergency shelters due to flooding. Out of the country’s 64 districts, 11 were affected, and over one million people have been isolated by the floodwaters.

Rumors have circulated online in Bangladesh suggesting that India caused the flooding by deliberately opening the Dumbur Dam in Tripura State, which feeds into the Gumti River flowing into Bangladesh. However, there is no evidence supporting this claim.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs clarified on August 22 that the floods resulted from excessive rainfall and runoff from large catchment areas downstream of the dam. The ministry emphasized its commitment to addressing water resource and river management issues through bilateral discussions. India and Bangladesh share 54 transboundary rivers.

Earlier this week, Pranay Verma, India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, informed Yunus that the dam's water release was automatic due to high levels. However, officials from Bangladesh’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre mentioned to Al Jazeera that India did not issue a warning about the water release this time, which could have mitigated the impact.

Historically, Bangladesh has experienced issues with water sharing, often exacerbated during the monsoon season, while lacking sufficient water during the dry season. This history has fueled skepticism and blame towards India for the current flooding.

**Current Situation at Indian Visa Centres in Bangladesh**

Indian visa application centers (IVACs) in Dhaka and Sathkira were closed on Tuesday following protests over delays in visa processing. The closure comes amid heightened security concerns after Hasina’s removal from power and a reduction in India’s diplomatic presence in Dhaka. Protesters demanded the return of their passports.

In 2023, about 1.6 million Bangladeshis traveled to India, making it a top destination for tourism and medical treatment for the country's citizens....

**Why Is the Relationship Between Bangladesh and India Troubled?**

New Delhi and Dhaka have historically enjoyed strong diplomatic and trade relations, with the Indian army playing a crucial role in Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971.

In recent years, however, tensions have surfaced. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her secular Awami League party have been seen by some as aligning more closely with India's interests. Critics within Bangladesh accuse India of supporting Hasina’s government despite evidence of undemocratic practices, including the suppression of dissent, arrests of critics, and alleged election manipulation.

Ali Riaz, a political scientist, suggests that the discontent in Bangladesh towards India reflects long-standing grievances. He argues that India’s unwavering support for Hasina has indirectly endorsed “three fraudulent elections and severe human rights violations.”

Riaz points to instances such as former Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh’s visit to Bangladesh before the 2014 elections, where she reportedly urged the Jatiya Party to participate rather than boycott. This move, according to Riaz, provided a crucial advantage to the Awami League. The 2014 elections were marred by the boycott of most opposition parties and the arrest of senior BNP leaders, including its chief, Begum Khaleda Zia.