Political activity by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami League figures from India is emerging as a key complication as Dhaka and New Delhi seek to reset their strained relationship.
Bangladesh has repeatedly asked India not to allow Hasina and other Awami League figures to use its territory for political activities that Dhaka says could create instability at home.
The issue has already triggered sharp exchanges between the two capitals.
Dhaka reacted strongly to Hasina’s 5 August media appearance from New Delhi. India said the event had been organised by a private body, that its government had no role in it and that it did not endorse the views expressed there.
The issue resurfaced after the Awami League’s central executive committee met on Friday night.
In a statement, the party said Hasina addressed the meeting and gave guidance on its future political and organisational activities.
Hasina has been living in India since leaving Bangladesh after her government was ousted in August 2024. A number of senior Awami League figures have also been staying in India.
Their continued political activity has become particularly sensitive as both Dhaka and New Delhi signal an interest in rebuilding ties.
Former ambassador Mahbub Hassan Saleh told TIMES that relations between the two countries needed to move beyond what he described as a largely trade-driven engagement.
“We have been experiencing a market-driven relationship where mostly trade takes the driving seat. This type of relationship can continue even if the overall bilateral relationship is not at a workable level,” he said.
Saleh said a genuine reset would require concrete steps on sensitive issues and greater recognition by both sides of each other’s concerns.
Former ambassador Mehdi Hasan said the impact of Awami League activity in India was evident from Dhaka’s repeated reactions.
“It is very much visible that Dhaka reacts very sharply to the activities of the Awami League, which is continuing its political activities in India,” he said.
“The activities of the former prime minister have impacted the bilateral relationship and it is very much visible.”
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India M Riaz Hamidullah recently put the issue in broader terms, saying relations could not move forward without “dignity, mutual trust and respect”.
Speaking at the India Today Brics Roundtable, Hamidullah was asked whether the presence of one individual could hold the bilateral relationship “hostage”.
He said the concerns and sentiments of Bangladeshis could not simply be set aside.
“If you hear the word dignity, mutual trust, respect and aspirations of people [are important]. If these are not addressed and the sense of Bangladesh’s demography is not understood, it would become difficult for any country to move,” he said.
His comments came amid Dhaka’s continuing demand for Hasina’s extradition.
India has said Bangladesh’s request is being examined by the competent authorities under applicable law and established procedures.
Yet there have also been signs that both sides want to prevent the Hasina issue from defining the entire relationship.
Saleh said sustained engagement between Dhaka and New Delhi was essential.
“The engagement is needed to move forward and both the capitals need to have dialogue to find out future direction,” he said.
Recent public exchanges between the two prime ministers have offered one such signal.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman wished Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi good health and continued energy in serving the people of India on his birthday. Modi responded by thanking him for the “warm wishes”.
Saleh said gestures of that kind could help create an opening but needed to be followed by substantive government-to-government engagement.
Mehdi Hasan made a similar point.
“Giving positive signals and not transforming [them] into actions will not lead anywhere,” he said.
He said the two governments needed direct discussions on the sensitive issues affecting the relationship, noting India’s stated position that it would work with whichever government was in power in Bangladesh.
There are signs that such engagement could deepen.
Dhaka and New Delhi are discussing possible dates for a bilateral visit by Tarique to India, according to recent reports, with a possible trip later this year under consideration.
But the Hasina issue remains unresolved.
For Dhaka, the challenge is to address its concerns over Hasina and Awami League activity in India without allowing those disputes to crowd out cooperation on trade, water sharing, connectivity, energy and security.
For New Delhi, political activity by Bangladeshi figures based on Indian territory remains an issue being closely watched in Dhaka.
Both capitals are talking about trust, engagement and a forward-looking relationship.
Turning those signals into a sustained reset, however, will require them to confront the political issue that continues to sit at the centre of the relationship.
