The twitteratti in both India, and more so in Bangladesh brewed a storm in a tea cup over the last week over two seemingly unrelated incidents which revealed how emotionally charged relations remain despite the best of intent on both sides.

The first involved Dinesh Trivedi, India’s newly appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh. Rather than arrive in Dhaka through the insulated rituals of official diplomacy, Trivedi and his wife crossed the Petrapole-Benapole border on foot. The symbolism was unmistakable. Here was a politician, not a career diplomat, attempting to emphasise proximity over protocol and people over politics.

Upon arrival, Trivedi quoted a song by Bhupen Hazarika, speaking of Indians and Bangladeshis sharing “the same sky, the same air” and the same suffering. He suggested that the combined aspirations of 1.6 billion people could create a common future.

The honest statement made in an era where climate change has put both the nations at risk, with Bangladesh projected to lose 17 per cent of its land to the sea by 2050 while India is expected to face both sea-inundation and longer and more intense heatwaves, was however greeted by the usual volley of strident criticisms.

Bangladesh’s Islamist and Jamaat-aligned political spectrum immediately interpreted the remarks as evidence of “India’s hegemonistic designs”.

The Jamaat-i-Islami which supports Pakistan and still feels the 1971 liberation war as an anachronism, demanded explanations and questioned whether Bangladesh’s sovereignty was being sufficiently respected.

The reaction said less about Trivedi’s words........

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