Track 2 Can Make Way Where Track 1 Can't

Some analysts are saying Pakistan has re-entered Bangladesh for instigating action against India. The truth is they never fully left. India's quiet diplomacy is also not without action

- LT GEN SYED ATA HASNAIN (RETD)

Bangladesh continues to confound us with its anti-India rhetoric; it's time to understand the strategic basics of the situation.

First, it's important for us not to imagine that Bangladesh has become a sworn adversary and everything is downhill in terms of the bilateral relationship. A serious and deliberate effort is going on by anti-India quarters to grab the opportunity and set things to take a negative spiral. The prime mover is Pakistan's ISI, for whom this is a god-sent opportunity.

It was good to hear the sane counsel of Bangladesh Army chief, General Waker-Zaman, who recently characterized India-Bangladesh relations as a "give-and-take," emphasizing that both countries have strategic interests in each other's stability. He assured that Bangladesh won't do anything to hurt India's interests. However, with a situation in which we are uncertain about who is in control and how far the radical right has embedded itself, the worry may be natural.

At the same time, it's extremely gratifying to see the Indian response. Our government has not said a word out of place. The quiet diplomacy being followed is a lesson for many nations who receive an unfavorable change with a readiness to immediately respond.

India's wait-and-watch policy is not without action. It's fully seized of the strategic importance Bangladesh holds. It also realizes there is anger on the neighbor's streets, although much of it is instigated. Having put its weight behind Sheikh Hasina and now allowing her to temporarily reside here, India is bearing the brunt. However, a reaction cannot be controlled from the streets, and relationships need to be based upon several other spheres of activity, the social and economic being among the most important.