KEY POINTS
- Bangladesh cancels its bandwidth transit agreement with India.
- India-Bangladesh ties strained after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.
- Yunus accuses India of running a propaganda campaign against his administration.
DHAKA: The interim government of Bangladesh has cancelled its bandwidth transit agreement with neighbouring India due to a lack of economic benefits.
The Bangladeshi Ministry of Telecommunications on Wednesday stated that the agreement was terminated due to a lack of economic benefits.
The purpose of the agreement with India was to enhance digital connectivity in the remote areas of the northeastern region of Bangladesh.
The agreement was initially approved during Sheikh Hasina’s administration, which was toppled in a student-led revolution on August 5th this year.
The decision to terminate the agreement by the interim Bangladesh administration is being viewed as one of several steps it is taking to undermine India’s interests as it will slow down internet connectivity in India’s northeastern states.
The development comes following a visit by Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Dhaka in a bid to defuse tensions between the two countries.
India has always backed Hasina’s rule who is currently in New Delhi where she took refuge after her removal, despite Bangladesh saying it would press her extradition.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who was nominated the leader of an interim government and tasked with implementing democratic reforms, has condemned acts of “Indian aggression” that he alleged were aimed at destabilising his administration.
Yunus had faced numerous criminal proceedings during Hasina’s tenure. He has been a vocal critic of India for supporting Hasina’s rule.
The leader of Bangladesh’s interim set-up has accused India of running a “propaganda campaign” against his administration. Bangladesh has seen numerous anti-India street demonstrations since Hasina’s ouster.
The arrest of a prominent Hindu priest in Bangladesh on sedition charges last month further added to tensions, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing supporters urging his government to take a more hardline stance on Dhaka.
