The return of Donald Trump as President of the United States has already brought the situation in Bangladesh, which is standing at a crossroads of political crisis, into the center of diplomatic analysis.
Against the backdrop of preparations for the changeover in Washington, Jack Sullivan, the National Security Advisor of that country, is coming to India on Sunday, January 5. The US State Department has informed that during his two-day visit to India, he will meet with the top officials of Narendra Modi’s government, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. He will also participate in a foreign policy discussion at IIT Delhi.
A government source has revealed that discussions might include bilateral relations, corruption cases against the Adanis, Khalistani activities in the US and Canada, the summons issued to Doval by a US court in a criminal case, and the recent situation in Bangladesh. It is understood that the conversation between the two National Security Advisors will also touch upon the ‘Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology’ (iCET) bilateral meeting related to the Indian Ocean region and the conflict situation in West Asia.
On January 20, Donald Trump will assume the presidency for the second time. This marks Sullivan’s last foreign trip as the National Security Advisor appointed by the outgoing Democratic government. Michael Waltz, Trump’s nominee, will take up the position on January 20.
Some diplomatic experts believe that the primary purpose of sending Sullivan before the new administration takes office is to ensure that the ‘heat’ from the corruption case against businessman Gautam Adani and the summons issued to Doval over allegations of involvement in a murder attempt conspiracy does not affect the overall strategic relationship between India and the US. Incidentally, on Monday, a decision was made to begin the trial of criminal and civil cases related to the Adani bribery scandal at the Eastern District Court of New York. On the other hand, a few months ago, the Southern District Court of New York had summoned Gurupatwant Singh Pannun of the banned Khalistani organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) on charges of ‘conspiracy to attempt murder’.
Donald Trump’s return as President of the United States has already become a focal point of diplomatic discussion regarding its impact on the situation in Bangladesh, which is at a political crisis point. This issue is becoming extremely significant for India, which shares the longest border with Bangladesh as a neighbor, in the coming days. According to some diplomatic circles, Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor of Bangladesh’s interim government close to the Democrats, is under pressure with Trump’s return. Although Yunus met with Democratic leaders like Barack Obama and Bill Clinton during his US visit in September, he did not meet Trump or any Republicans, as relations are not cordial. After Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election (defeating Hillary Clinton), a delegation from Bangladesh went to Washington to congratulate him. According to sources, at the first meeting, Trump said, “Where is that microfinance guy from Dhaka? I heard he funded to defeat me.” This time during the presidential election campaign, Trump publicly raised allegations of persecution against Hindus in Bangladesh under the interim government’s watch.