NEW DELHI: It's been a month since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh, leading to a change of government. Students have called for a 'Shaheedi march' on Thursday to commemorate the martyrdom of those who died during the process.
Meanwhile, even though India-Bangladesh bilateral ties are yet to return to normal, trade between the two countries resumed on Wednesday.
"After 47 days of uncertainty due to violence, trade between India and Bangladesh has resumed through a land port Benapol. Traders from Bangladesh have welcomed this move as there was shortage of supplies, high inflation and loss of livelihood," said a source from Dhaka.
Though no official word on the resumption of trade with Bangladesh has come from India yet, it is the only affirmative news on India-Bangladesh relations during the past month.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had recently said that Bangladesh is going through a change with the new government and its relations with India would fructify with time – just like it was with the Maldives.
Ongoing India-led projects in Bangladesh have been stalled for now. While sources in Bangladesh say this could be a long-term development, India is optimistic that they would resume in due course of time.
There has been an economic slowdown, with workers protesting for increase in emoluments which has led to many industries being shut.
"Nearly 60 garment manufacturing units have been shut down. Besides, protests and clashes continue. Today there were clashes between two groups of students in two different colleges which has left 150 injured. There was a gun-fight at Geneva camp (where stranded Pakistanis or Biharis live) which has left one dead. It is a long road ahead to normalcy," Professor Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, a political commentator from Dhaka, told The New Indian Express.
While political turmoil continues, with journalists being rounded up and framed in a bid to control them, it's a long way ahead before things settle down in Bangladesh.
