AS Bangladesh erupted in euphoria over the triumph of the Gen Z revolution-as it has become known thanks to the protest: movement led by young students and tweens-the Indian establishment watched the events that dismantled Sheikh Hasina's 15-year-long regime with extreme caution.
Alongside ordinary citizens from all walks of life, the protestors included members from the Jamaat-e-Islami (Jel) Bangladesh, the largest Islamist political party and its student wing the Islamist Chhatra Shibir (ICS). Shafiq ur Rehman, 65, chief of the Jel, was hailed on social media as the man behind the resistance movement. Known for its anti-India politics, allegiance to Pakistan, alleged links to jihadi terror groups and immense street power to cause violence, the involvement of Jel has given rise to the suspicion in India that the revolutions were backed by the Islamist party.
In 2011, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh vocalised the widely perceived threat from the JeI in an off-the-record conversation with journalists. The usually reticent Singh reportedly minced no words in his remarks, claiming that at least 25 per cent of Bangladesh's population, which follows the Jel or the Jamaat as it is also known, was very anti-Indian and the Islamist organisation was in the clutches of Pakistan's ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence). "The political landscape in Bangladesh can change at any time. We do not know what these terrorist elements, who have a hold on the Jel in Bangladesh, can be up to," Singh was quoted as saying at the time.
As that dreaded moment of reckoning arrived on August 6, leading to the regime change in Bangladesh, many in India's security and military establishment feared Singh's prophetic remarks becoming the neighbourhood's geopolitical reality.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has since underlined the safety of Hindu minorities twice in his statements on Bangladesh.
Esta historia es de la edición September 1, 2024 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 1, 2024 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Soft Ruins
'Soft Ruins' is a chapter within the long-term ongoing project \"When Spring Never Comes\", an expansive exploration of memory, identity and displacement in the aftermath of exile within contemporary global politics. It reflects on how the journey as an asylum seeker in Europe mirrors the instability and threats of life under dictatorship, amidst rising right-wing movements and shifting power dynamics, where both certainty and identity are redefined
Building Beyond Homes: Provident Housing's Transformative Approach
Provident Housing leads in crafting thoughtfully designed homes that cater to modern homebuyers' evolving needs. With a focus on timely delivery, sustainability, and innovative, customer-centric solutions, the company sets new benchmarks. In this exclusive interview, Mallanna Sasalu, CEO of Provident Housing, shares insights into the company's strategies, upcoming projects, and vision for India's housing future.
Syria Speaks
A Syrian graffiti artist-activist's tale of living through bombings, gunshots and displacement
The Burdened
Yemen, once a beautiful land identified with the Queen of Sheba, is now one of the worst ongoing humanitarian disasters of modern times
Sculpting In Time
Documentaries such as Intercepted and Songs of Slow Burning Earth grapple with the Russian occupation beyond displays of desolation
The Story Won't Die
Is Israel's triumphalism over its land grab in Syria realistic? The hard reality is-Israel now has Al-Qaeda as a next-door neighbour
Against the Loveless World
In times of war, love exists as a profound act of defiance
Soul of My Soul
What does it mean to continue to create art during a genocide?
in Dancing the Glory of Monsters
By humanising the stories of those affected by war, poverty and displacement, Buuma hopes to foster empathy and inspire action
All the President's Men
Co-author of All The President's Men and one of the two Washington Post journalists (the other was Carl Berntstein) who broke the Watergate scandal that brought down the President Richard Nixon administration in the United States in 1974, Bob Woodward's recent book War was on top of The New York Times Bestseller list, even above John Grisham.
