By M. Rahman, PhD, Adviser, Dhaka Straits Times
In recent weeks, Dhaka’s political landscape has entered a new and delicate phase as quiet backchannel engagements between Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus and India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval come into the spotlight. Although neither side has officially disclosed detailed outcomes, the very fact that these conversations are taking place signals a recalibration in the relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi. Bangladesh stands at a turning point, and India, an unavoidable geopolitical neighbor, appears to be reassessing its own posture after years of uncritical support for the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina. The silence on both sides speaks loudly, and the message is unmistakable: the era of unilateral influence is giving way to a more cautious equilibrium.
The collapse of the previous regime, followed by widespread calls for justice, has reshaped the public mood. The recent verdicts delivered by the International Crimes Tribunal, particularly those implicating Sheikh Hasina and several of her close allies, have added a sharp legal and moral dimension to this transition. For many citizens, these judgments feel like an overdue reckoning after years of allegations of authoritarianism, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the stifling of political dissent. India can no longer ignore how deeply these grievances run within Bangladeshi society. The tribunal’s decisions have changed not only the domestic narrative but also the regional diplomatic equation; Hasina, once India’s most reliable political partner, is now legally and morally compromised.
Against this backdrop, Dr Yunus’s interim leadership has introduced a new tone—cautious, conciliatory, and consciously people-centred. His administration, though unelected, enjoys a rare moment of public goodwill because it represents a break from the harshness of the previous era. Yet this goodwill is not limitless. Citizens want accountability, stability, and a credible roadmap for economic recovery. They want justice to continue but without political vengeance. They want diplomacy to be balanced, not submissive. And they want India to respect the aspirations of ordinary Bangladeshis rather than privileging one political actor over the nation itself. These expectations provide the moral anchor for whatever understanding is being shaped through the discussions with Ajit Doval.
India, too, appears to be reading the mood of Bangladesh more carefully. The old assumptions that economic leverage and security cooperation alone could secure influence, no longer hold. The uprising that toppled the previous government showed a nation willing to challenge not only domestic authoritarianism but also external interference that enabled it. For New Delhi, rebuilding trust will require more than diplomatic niceties; it requires acknowledging that Bangladesh’s political stability cannot be engineered from the outside, and that partnerships must respect the dignity of its people. If Ajit Doval’s meetings reflect a shift toward such an understanding, then the region may be entering a healthier chapter.
Still, the path ahead is fragile. Bangladesh must navigate justice without instability, reform without revenge, and diplomacy without dependency. Dr Yunus stands at the centre of this balancing act, tasked with restoring democratic institutions while ensuring that foreign relations, particularly with India, reflect mutual respect rather than political favoritism. The ICT verdicts have set a moral baseline; the public uprisings have set a political baseline; and the talks with India will help set a diplomatic baseline. Whether these three baselines can align will determine the kind of Bangladesh that emerges from this historic transition.
For now, the country watches quietly but attentively. The people have spoken through their struggles, and the courts have spoken through their judgments. It is now time for diplomacy to speak, not in whispers that sidestep sovereignty, but in conversations that honor the sacrifice, dignity, and democratic aspirations of the Bangladeshi people.
