Khaleda Zia and India: Sometimes deep bitterness, sometimes indifference. Why was Khaleda always entangled with Delhi?

News India Live, Digital Desk: It is not possible to talk about the politics of Bangladesh and not mention its ‘two Begums’ (Khalida Zia and Sheikh Hasina). While on one hand Sheikh Hasina was always inclined towards India, on the other hand, during the era of Khaleda Zia, India-Bangladesh relations saw many dark days. When she is being discussed today, it is also important to open those old files, which tell why the tension with India had increased so much during Khaleda’s rule. Why did Khaleda become a ‘headache for India’? The truth is that Khaleda Zia’s politics followed the path of ‘nationalism’, in which opposition to India was used as a big tool. During his tenure, it was clearly felt that Dhaka was more inclined towards Islamabad and fundamentalist forces rather than New Delhi. Political analysts believe that he had strengthened his political base by fanning anti-India sentiments. Free hand for the extremists of North-East India. The worst period in terms of India’s security was when Khaleda Zia was the Prime Minister and militancy was at its peak in the North-Eastern states of India. It is said that at that time ULFA and other insurgent groups had safe havens on Bangladeshi soil. India kept raising this issue several times, but Khaleda’s government often rejected these allegations outright. For this reason, the lack of trust between the security systems of the two countries could never be bridged. The alliance of fundamentalists and the growing threat of Khaleda Zia’s party BNP with fundamentalist organizations like ‘Jamaat-e-Islami’ was the biggest reason for India’s concern. India has always wanted a secular and democratic structure along its borders, but the rise of fundamentalism during Khaleda’s rule made the problems of instability and illegal infiltration on the borders more serious. A bitter diplomatic journey Not only on the security front, but also on river water sharing and trade, talks were always cold during her era. Even though at the personal level she was a dignified leader, but in the pages of diplomacy, her tenure is recorded as a ‘difficult period’ for India. After the departure of Khaleda Zia, today history is remembering her for her strength, but those ‘bitter memories’ still sting somewhere in the common friendship between India and Bangladesh.