It remains to be seen how the meeting will affect our relationship with India

Illustration: TBS

Bimstec concerns itself with regional cooperation so I think the topics brought up by the Chief Advisor were not out of the norm or unreasonable. For example, the border killings taking place are tantamount to crimes against humanity, so a regional forum is the appropriate place to bring it up.

While it does seem that India is gradually accepting us, the consequences of the discussions and how it will affect our relationship with India, positive or negative, remains to be seen. Whatever discussions have taken place, New Delhi has not talked about it yet. Their policies are still a huge issue. India has also not addressed the large scale media disinformation campaigns against Bangladesh. We still have not had the visa situation resolved yet either. So, we do not yet have a good idea of how much India is prepared to accept the new government. 

The Indian state will do its own calculations to determine their interests, but Bangladesh needs to be very careful about their positions, particularly with regards to Hasina and border killings. I believe we have to continue discussing these in global forums, as our government has a moral and constitutional responsibility to bring justice to the perpetrators. 

By going to China, Dr Yunus forced India's hand. The Indian state is bound to discuss these issues of mutual interest with us if we have a deal with China. We are in a delicate situation so it must be handled with the utmost professional diplomacy. However, it is a good sign that Bangladesh is forcing its more powerful neighbours to discuss regional cooperation with us.

Historically, Bangladesh has never been an anti-Indian country, not even in 1971. We have, at most, been against Indian elites who run the country. However, the relationship between the citizens of the two countries is clear, with Indian activists and citizens also having been inspired by our uprising. 

They must realise that Bangladeshi citizens are not only capable of inspiring our own citizens but also their citizens. The Indian state needs to consider that Bangladesh is one of the only countries in South Asia that shed blood for our independence; we did not negotiate our independence. So, India must accept the sentiment and values of our people, and so far, what we have seen is not respectful. I hope this meeting will pave the path for a more respectful and equal relationship with India.

Rezaur Rahman Lenin is a rights activist and researcher.

TBS' Alhan Arsal spoke to Rezaur Rahman Lenin over the phone.