Sheikh Hasina quit as the Bangladesh Prime Minister this week and fled the country after violent protests demanding her resignation.
New Delhi: Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has stepped down this week and taken flight from the country amid violent demonstration demanding her resignation. Having just embarked on her fifth term as a Prime Minister of Bangladesh earlier this year, she used a military plane to exit Dhaka and landed in India. Her abrupt departure is now having repercussion on the trade ties between India and Bangladesh, which had strengthened under her leadership.
Truck traffic transporting goods between India and Bangladesh at the Changrabandha border check post in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district has nearly halted. “We believe that approximately $300 million in export trade has been impacted by the political turmoil in Bangladesh. Our daily exports to Bangladesh typically amount to around $30 million,” stated Ajay Sahai, Director-General of the Federation of India Export Organizations (FIEO).
Bangladesh stands out as India’s largest partner in the subcontinent, with Delhi being Dhaka’s second most significant ally in Asia, following China. Additionally, Bangladesh ranks as the fourth largest destination for India exports.