First 100 days of Tarique Govt ::::: Even luck has not quite favoured the new BNP dispensation ::::: Mamata Banerjee was a hurdle for Teesta. Into that vacuum stepped China !!

 Bangladeshis must have already learned that everything could be made NEGOTIABLE with a directionless political leadership.

More so; if the leadership is 'weak' due to more reasons than one and the nation has foremost of all - an economic crisis again due to multiple reasons. 

We can reflect upon these situations while examining the first 100 days of the BNP Govt.  

What is Bangladesh 'not famous for' ?  

Blogger in Dhaka: 2017 Music Fest 

Tarique Rahman or anyone else. The Bangladesh government will always need to work on something which it lacks.

That means it needs to energise an often inert bureaucracy, 

strengthen law and order, stabilise an economy weakened by money laundering, crony capitalism and restore the effectiveness of democratic institutions chiefly - Parliament and the Election Commission.

This is a tall order. Nobody's perfect. More so among the Netas in South Asia. The problem is bigger because a 'realistic clear-sightedness' has been lacking more with the Bangladeshi political class. They are always in 'sea' like the proverbial old men - undecided - can Pakistan be their friend or benefactor. 

Or should they trust India - who helped them attain freedom; but it remains Hindu majority and under PM Narendra Modi; Bharat is Hindutva-infected ? 

Baul singers - linked to Krishna Bhakti and Mysticism 

An overwhelming section of intellectuals and TV commentators are now upset because a corrupt and 'anti-New Delhi and anti-Hindu' dispensation under Mamata Banerjee has been voted out in Kolkata? 

Worse; as of now the future prospects of "Bangladeshi-infiltrators" friendly TMC has been thrown into the deep waters of Padma, Teesta and Ganga. 

Of course, common Bangladeshis are smart enough and they have drawn their priorities. 

People no longer want rhetoric, they want results. They will measure this administration by whether prices remain steady, streets grow safer, institutions gain strength, and democratic promises are truly honoured.

 (Note: Every Eid-ul-Azha, Bangladesh conducts one of the largest concentrated acts of animal sacrifice in the world. In 2024, around 1.04 crore animals were sacrificed in roughly 72 hours, including 47.7 lakh cows, 1.13 lakh buffaloes, 50.6 lakh goats, and 4.7 lakh sheep) 

Even luck has not quite favoured the new BNP dispensation notwithstanding the fact their election victory came easier than it was expected.  

Just 10 days after Tarique assumed office, the US and Israel attacked Iran, triggering a regional conflict that destabilised global markets and disrupted oil supplies. By May 4th; the BJP in neighbouring India captured West Bengal and the Modi-led regime has decided to push 'throw our infiltrators (Bangladeshi Muslim illegal entrants) go full steam. 

Tarique actually inherited some problems by default.  

After the forceful ouster of Sheikh Hasina; the intervening interim government under US-planted 'team' was expected to champion reforms and restore rule of law.

They failed to a large extent and also further complicated things. These only led to even higher expectations from the elected BNP government.

Bangladesh, as they say, is still trapped in a cycle of misgovernance and injustice.  

One looming concern for the Tarique Govt is the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) signed with the United States during the final days of the interim government. The 32-page framework covers trade, labour, and economic policies, with several of its conditions believed to be unfavourable to Bangladesh. 

One of the main expectations was that this government would push forward institutional reforms. 

That agenda has visibly lost momentum. Several ordinances from the interim period -- covering judicial independence, the National Human Rights Council, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and protections against enforced disappearance -- were not ratified.

(The justice system in Bangladesh must adapt to the changing nature of digital evidence.) 

Take a pause and let's reflect precisely on Indo-Bangladesh ties since Tarique took over.

Relations between India and Bangladesh have seen a pragmatic reset. After winning a two-thirds majority in the February 2026 elections, Tarique Rahman adopted a "Bangladesh-first" foreign policy. 

He has rightly refused to treat any nation as a "master," his administration has actively pursued renewed trade, security, and connectivity with India. 

Importantly, domestically, Rahman's administration has pledged to make Bangladesh a safe country for all faiths, especially Hindus --- which has helped build cautious optimism in India regarding regional stability. 

One will not be wrong to endorse the views that Tarique Rahman has stepped into South Asia’s hardest balancing act in the calendar year 2026.

Of course, Bangladesh’s new Prime Minister has signaled a China-first tilt, but geography and domestic politics ensure India remains unavoidable. 

"Bangladesh cannot afford hostility with either, yet closeness to one invariably unsettles the other," says magazine 'Frontline'. 

Tarique Rahman : Balancing Act 

Few countries are forced to practice balance between two regional giants. 

And few moments have revealed that balancing act more starkly than the early foreign-policy calculations of Bangladesh’s new Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman.

Rahman’s China move maybe rich in symbolism. 

In South Asia, first visits are rarely ceremonial. They are read as declarations of strategic intent. Beijing clearly understands the optics. 

The Chinese ambassador, Yao Wen, recently described relations with Bangladesh as having reached “a new height”.

China has also signalled that it stands ready to support Bangladesh’s “political stability, economic development and public welfare activities”. 

During ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, Dhaka repeatedly hoped India would move forward on a Teesta water-sharing agreement. 

Mamata Banerjee was a hurdle.

Into that vacuum stepped China.

Beijing’s willingness to finance and assist the Teesta restoration scheme has long carried geopolitical implications. 

"Yet, the Teesta is an arena where the strategic insecurities of Asia’s two great powers intersect. India has historically viewed Chinese involvement in river management projects close to its vulnerable Siliguri Corridor with deep suspicion. 

Chinese participation in a river system tied directly to India’s own hydrological and security concerns touches a particularly raw nerve in New Delhi," says Frontline. 

ends