The Hasina-Biden selfie that broke the internet

In a light-hearted moment on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit 2023 in New Delhi on Saturday (9 September), US President Joe Biden took a selfie with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her daughter Saima Wazed Putul. The selfie wasn't out of the ordinary for Biden, who, according to a 2022 AP report, had perfected his selfie arm. The selfie is part of Biden's charm offensive, with the act often used to paper over his failings as a political orator.

While Biden's selfie game isn't questioned, the one with PM Hasina had far-reaching ramifications, being seen as a signal of the thawing relations between the two countries after a somewhat rocky last few months. It is also being considered a morale booster for the ruling Awami League ahead of the national polls slated for January.

The selfie has also been promoted widely across social media by many AL leaders and activists.

"He was so excited, he took the phone from a friend of mine because he was finding it difficult to take the picture," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said regarding Biden's selfie with PM Hasina.

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said the BNP leaders became terribly upset seeing US President Joe Biden himself taking selfies with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her.

"BNP was expecting a sanction from the White House on Bangladesh. But what is seen? Biden himself took a selfie with Sheikh Hasina accompanied by Putul in Delhi. Seeing the photo, BNP leaders got a terrible shock," he said.

"No matter what you say about her, I can't deny the fact that she is indeed a top-level player," said a netizen named Mustafa Al Mahmud sharing the selfies on Facebook.

Another person, SahAzim Muhammad shared the selfies on his Facebook profile, and wrote, "She is brilliant."

"May the friendship between Bangladesh and the United States last forever," wrote Arifa Rahman Ruma, a counsellor at the Embassy of Bangladesh in the US, sharing the photographs.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) has deemed PM Hasina's selfie with President Biden as just a show-off. 

"Hang the selfie around your neck. That will help you a lot. You are trying to tell the people that Biden is with you now. However, what did your prime minister say a few days ago? She said that the US is asking for St Martin's island. She claimed that because of her not agreeing to give the island of St Martin's, the US wanted to remove her from power. So you have given the island of Saint Martin's to them?" BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Sunday (10 August).

The US-Bangladesh relations had grown shaky as elections loomed.

On 24 May, the US Department of State announced visa restrictions on anyone who is complicit in any sort of interference in the Bangladesh national election.

Earlier in December 2021, the US had imposed sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion.

The latest visa restrictions followed a series of meetings with power brokers around the country.

The opposition BNP had alleged widespread voter fraud and irregularities in the last two national elections by the Awami League and said the ruling party will do so again.

It conveyed the message to the US, EU and other global players that a fair election was not possible under a partisan government.

The international community ramped up the pressure on the Hasina-led government to ensure a free and fair election.

The interest in the country by foreign powers even prompted Hasina to make a statement, without naming names.

"They want to create a [unstable] situation in this country on different pleas of election, democracy and different other names so that they can use the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. The purpose of some of them is to attack different countries in this region and destroy the countries," she said.

High-level visits from US delegates continued and dialogue was ensured.

Against this backdrop, Joe Biden's smiling selfie with the premier and her daughter shows that relations are no longer strained.