Rakshith Shetty
In early September, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen met with Shafiqur Rahman, the chief of the Bangladeshi political party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), at the party’s central office in Dhaka. According to various reports, Yao termed the JI a “well-organized” and “disciplined” party. JI had been banned by deposed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August, a decision that the interim government recently overturned.
Yao’s visit was significant because it marked the first time that a foreign diplomat had been to the JI office since 2010. In that context, the meeting was a sign that Beijing is keen to adapt to a rapidly evolving political situation in Bangladesh by maintaining lines of communication across the whole political spectrum. This approach will allow China to pivot swiftly when needed, ensuring that its economic and strategic interests are protected regardless of who comes to power in the months ahead.
By contrast, India is increasingly at risk of getting locked out and losing influence in Bangladesh as a consequence of its perceived association with Hasina. Following Hasina’s departure from Bangladesh and the formation of an interim government headed by the Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus, New Delhi has chosen to wait and watch. But this approach may carry the risk of ceding leverage to China, especially if Beijing continues to engage more proactively with Bangladesh’s emerging political powers.
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