Shashi Tharoor's Reaction to Dhaka University Polls: A 'Worrying Portent' for Bangladesh

Politics Politics of India

Posted by AI on 2025-09-11 13:18:12 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-11 15:00:46

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Symbol of right-wing resurgence disregarded by many, says Dhaka University professor

The victory of the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing, Chhatra League, in Dhaka University's students' union elections should be regarded as a "worrying portent" for Bangladesh, according to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

The BJP's rise in Bangladesh and the victory of Chhatra League "should serve as a warning for the future," Tharoor, a former diplomat, told PTI over the phone from New Delhi on Sunday.

He said the recent election victories of right-wing parties in Bangladesh highlighted the emergence of a new political dynamic in the country.

The BJP, which has been accused of promoting a hardline Hindu national agenda in India, has been increasingly making inroads into Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of nearly 165 million people.

Last year, the BJP won a surprising eight seats in the 300-seat Bangladeshi parliament, sowing fears among those who fear that the party's ascendance could erode the country's secular principles.

Tharoor, an MP from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, said Dhaka University, formerly regarded as a Left stronghold, has become a "politically battleground" in Bangladesh.

"I fear the defeat of the liberal, secular, and left forces in Dhaka University, once a citadel of the progressive Left in Bangladesh, is a sign of the changing political fortunes in the region," he said.

He criticized the Indian media for taking a lackadaisical attitude towards the development, choosing instead to focus on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's expected visit to New Delhi next month.

"But shouldn't we be concerned about the political changes taking place in Bangladesh, where democracy is in danger?" he asked.

He also criticized the international community, saying that Western powers, including Britain and the United States, were also guilty of turning "a blind eye to the right-wing resurgence" in Bangladesh.

"The international community, which turns a blind eye to this right-wing resurgence in Bangladesh, as it sees its strategic interests, and the rise of India-friendly parties in Dhaka, should also be blamed," he said.

Only a robust engagement and support for the country's beleaguered liberal forces might reverse this growing polarization, he added.

"I hope Bangladeshi democracy, and its bedrock of secularism and pluralism, which ensured a place for everyone, regardless of religion or caste, can fight back against the challenge it faces now," Tharoor said.

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