BANGLADESH has effectively put Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to India on hold, declaring that the trip is unlikely to happen unless New Delhi makes progress on extraditing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This diplomatic standoff adds a sharp twist to the already volatile relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi. The row intensifies ahead of planned bilateral dates and a potential invitation for Rahman to attend the upcoming BRICS summit in New Delhi.

For fifteen years, Sheikh Hasina operated as New Delhi’s puppet, systematically sacrificing Bangladesh’s sovereignty and national interests to appease India. In exchange for Indian political backing that kept her autocratic regime in power, she leased out critical transit rights, signed lopsided energy deals and allowed New Delhi a dominant say in........

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