Bangladeshis launch ‘India Out’ campaign over New Delhi’s alleged meddling to keep Hasina in power

The campaign is mainly being driven on social media, and hashtags #IndiaOut, #BoycottIndia and #BoycottIndianProducts have been trending on Facebook in recent weeks. Some opposition political groups also took part in rallies on the street in cities, in support of the movement.

Exiled Bangladeshi activist Pinaki Bhattacharya, one of the architects of the India Out campaign said Hasina’s Awami League managed to overwhelmingly win three “one-sided sham” general elections over the past decade, “all because of India’s support”.

“Hasina’s government has long been the beneficiary of Indian interventions in the internal politics of Bangladesh. It comes as no surprise that the anger of the Bangladeshi public, which was previously aimed at the regime of their own nation, is now directed towards India,” Paris-based Bhattacharya told This Week in Asia.

“The people of Bangladesh have launched this campaign to express their extreme discontent with India.”

In 2014, a one-sided general election took place in Bangladesh with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the largest opposition party in the country, boycotting it. In 2018, the general election was marred by widespread allegations of ballot-stuffing by the ruling party.

Since 2022, the US and other countries have repeatedly urged the Hasina government to conduct the next general election freely and fairly.

Responding to a call from the opposition, around 60 per cent of voters did not cast their votes in what it termed a “farcical election”.

As almost all 300 seats contested were won by the ruling AL-led alliance and pro-ruling party “independent” candidates, activists and analysts claimed the election marked the death of democracy and portended increased political instability.

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