Bangladesh Has A Lot To Prove

With her nation newly behind her, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is looking abroad for new opportunities.

- Rajendra Prabhu

There is peace once again on the streets of Dhakha. Bangladesh has come out of its political turmoil, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is positioning her nation on the global stage. The Prime Minister’s successful negotiation and recent signing of a 65-point agreement with India has impressed both the supporters of her traditionally anti-Indian rivals and the world. The country that Henry Kissinger once dismissed as a “basket case” can no longer be so easily dismissed, and Sheikh Hasina has been doing her best to convince foreign investors of that.

Illustrative of what Kissinger derided in the nation, Sheikh Hasina’s path to the Prime Minister’s office was beset by violent opposition. The main contender against her Awami League (A.L.) part is the Bangladesh National Party (BNP). The A.L. has always sought to bring the nation back to its secular roots, but the BNP is a chiefly Islamic party.

The A.L. had long been embattled against the BNP and more extreme Islamist forces that together sought to uproot her government through street action. Sheikh Hasina has now a solid achievement to show for her determination against the Islamist elements that brought jihadist-style violence to the Muslim majority nation.