Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman recently addressed the deteriorating state of India-Bangladesh relations, which have worsened since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime in August of last year. In an interview with Daily Prothom Alo, he referred to India as an “important neighbor” with whom Bangladesh shares a significant dependence in various aspects.
General Waker-Uz-Zaman emphasized the need for a “give and take” relationship between the two countries, based on fairness and equality. He stressed that maintaining good ties with India is crucial, but this must be done on terms of mutual respect and balance.
“India is an important neighbor. We are dependent on India in many ways, and India benefits from us too. A large number of Indian citizens work in Bangladesh, both formally and informally. Many people from Bangladesh seek medical treatment in India, and we purchase a lot of goods from them. So, India has a vested interest in Bangladesh’s stability. This is a reciprocal relationship,” said the Bangladesh Army Chief.
He further stated that for the relationship to work effectively, it should not be one-sided, and the people of Bangladesh should not feel that India is exerting dominance over them. “This relationship must be based on fairness. Every country will seek benefits from others, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if we seek to extract benefits, then we are also responsible for ensuring fairness. Our people should never feel that India is dominating us, as that would be detrimental to our interests,” he added.
When questioned about India’s request for cooperation from Bangladesh to ensure security in northeastern India, General Zaman reassured that Bangladesh would not take any actions against India’s strategic interests, and likewise, expects the same from India. “We will not do anything that harms our neighbor’s strategic interests. At the same time, we expect our neighbor to respect our interests. Both countries must look after each other’s interests with equal importance,” he said.
General Zaman also highlighted the need for India-Bangladesh relations to be built on equal terms. “There should be no unrest in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, nor should the stability along the Myanmar border be disrupted. There should be no violence at our borders, and we should receive our fair share of water. Let the relationship be based on equality,” he stated.
Addressing the student protests of the previous year, which culminated in the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime, General Zaman referred to the event as “historic.” He noted that Bangladeshis are now eagerly awaiting a free, fair, and peaceful election, the first of its kind in many years.
He mentioned that the interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, is focused on ensuring a transparent election process and that the Army will fully cooperate in executing the election framework outlined by the interim government.
