Harsh Shringla Discusses Crisis in Bangladesh and Its Impact on India
New Delhi [India], August 5: Harsh Shringla, the former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh and Foreign Secretary, spoke about the ongoing crisis in Bangladesh. He emphasized that it is crucial for India that peace is restored in Dhaka.
Economic and Political Crisis
Shringla explained that the crisis appears to be driven by student protests over quota issues, but the underlying cause is the economic hardship that has been building since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ukraine conflict has further exacerbated the situation by increasing the prices of essential commodities like fuel, food, and fertilizers, which Bangladesh imports. This has led to a difficult balance of payments situation and inflation rates rising by 17 to 20 percent.
Public Frustration and Opportunists
According to Shringla, the economic difficulties have led to public frustration, especially among younger people, who are now expressing their discontent on the streets. He also pointed out that opportunists, including the opposition BNP and the radical Jamaat-e-Islami group, have joined the protests, adding violence to the unrest.
Foreign Involvement
Shringla did not rule out the possibility of foreign powers being involved in the crisis, which could be detrimental to both Bangladesh’s and India’s security interests. He stressed the importance of maintaining peace in Dhaka for the benefit of both countries.
Doubts Revealed
Harsh Shringla -: Harsh Shringla is a senior Indian diplomat who has served in various important positions, including as the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh.
High Commissioner -: A High Commissioner is like an ambassador but works in countries that are part of the Commonwealth, a group of countries that were once part of the British Empire.
Bangladesh -: Bangladesh is a neighboring country of India, located to the east of India. It became an independent country in 1971.
Economic crisis -: An economic crisis is when a country faces serious financial problems, like high prices for goods and services, and people have trouble finding jobs.
Political crisis -: A political crisis happens when there are big problems in the government, like disagreements between leaders or protests from the public.
COVID-19 -: COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus that spread around the world starting in 2019, making many people sick and affecting economies.
Ukraine conflict -: The Ukraine conflict refers to the ongoing fighting between Ukraine and Russia, which started in 2014 and has affected many countries’ economies.
Inflation -: Inflation is when the prices of things like food and clothes go up, so people need more money to buy the same things.
Dhaka -: Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh, where many important government buildings and businesses are located.
