REG 33 (3) OF SEBI (LODR) ACT 2015

04-08-2026 Tuesday The Russia-Ukraine war: Why Bangladesh gets a new envoy to reset its India ties peace remains so elusive The Bangladesh past 14 months, Bangladesh’s ordinary Bangladeshis faced an involving China. The ultimate government’s decision to diplomatic posture towards intractable visa crisis that was catalyst for the decision to replace its High Commissioner India appeared stuck in a time resolved only when India’s remove Hamidullah arrived to New Delhi, M Riaz warp. Envoy Hamidullah’s politically connected envoy in not through a slow Hamidullah, offers the clearest tenure, which began on April Dhaka intervened directly. On accumulation of policy indication yet that Dhaka is 14, 2025, followed a landmark the border, security incidents failures, but via a diplomatic fundamentally rewriting its meeting between Muhammad persisted. flare-up at New Delhi’s approach toward its largest Yunus and Narendra Modi in The uncomfortable reality international airport. Zahed Ur neighbour. After nearly two Bangkok. That summit was confronting Dhaka was that Rahman, the influential years of strained relations, the supposed to reset a soft power, while useful for adviser on policy and strategy government of Prime Minister relationship left fragile by embellishing a stable to Prime Minister Tarique Tarique Rahman has signalled Bangladesh’s political partnership, is not working for Rahman, abruptly abandoned a change in diplomatic transition in August 2024. repairing one fractured by an official visit to India after approach. By ‘possibly’ Instead, the subsequent hard geopolitical disputes. being held up at the airport for dispatching the country’s months exposed a widening itinerary resembled literature festivals, and Cultural festivals cannot work several hours by immigration Wars often begin with the ever-larger share of national incumbent Foreign Secretary, chasm between diplomatic performance rather than celebrated International Yoga when the agenda is dominated officials at Indira Gandhi illusion of swift victory. They resources, and ordinary Asad Alam Siam, to take activity and tangible policy statecraft. Hamidullah lectured Day, attempting to build by immigration restrictions International Airport, in the end, more often than not, with Russians increasingly bear the charge of the mission in the outcomes. While Dhaka’s envoy at universities, attended historical trust. Meanwhile, and strategic competition presence of Envoy Hamidullah. exhaustion. The Russia- hidden costs of a permanent Indian capital, Dhaka is embarked on an energetic tour Ukraine war has now entered war economy. Nor is the signalling a transition towards of the Indian subcontinent, its fifth year since Russia suffering confined to the the hard ledger of transactional visiting no fewer than ten launched its full-scale invasion principal combatants. Wars diplomacy. states, including Tripura, on February 24, 2022. What possess an unfortunate talent Within Bangladesh’s Assam, Meghalaya, Gujarat, many military analysts initially for widening their circle of foreign policy establishment, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, believed would be a matter of victims. India recently the previous approach had Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, weeks has instead become mourned the deaths of four of increasingly come to symbolise the core irritants plaguing the one of the longest and most its citizens caught in a Russian a philosophy that invested bilateral relationship festered destructive conflicts in Europe aerial strike. The economic heavily in confidence-building untouched. To critics within since the Second World War. consequences, too, have while real disputes Dhaka’s foreign policy Cities have been reduced to travelled far beyond Eastern accumulated. For much of the establishment, this hyperactive rubble, hundreds of thousands Europe. Although Europe has have been killed or wounded, substantially diversified its millions have been displaced, energy supplies since 2022, and entire generations of the abrupt reduction in Russian Ukrainians have grown up gas imports forced amidst the sound of air raid governments to spend heavily sirens. Yet the end remains on alternative energy sources, elusive. Ukraine continues to strained industries dependent survive because of on affordable fuel, and unprecedented military and contributed to inflationary financial support from the pressures that have affected Western alliance, particularly households across the the United States. Billions of continent. What is striking is dollars’ worth of sophisticated the near-total absence of an weapons, intelligence support, effective mediator. The UN training, and economic could have played such a role, assistance have flowed into but today the organisation Kyiv. Behind this lies not appears structurally merely sympathy for Ukraine’s paralysed. The Security sovereignty but a broader Council remains hostage to geopolitical calculation: to the veto powers of its ensure that Russia pays a permanent members, one of heavy strategic price for its whom is itself a principal invasion. The United States belligerent. Noble resolutions also possesses the world’s cannot substitute for most formidable military- enforceable diplomacy. industrial complex. Every Nor do alternative prolonged conflict generates mediators command universal fresh demand for missiles, confidence. China is viewed drones, ammunition, air with suspicion by much of the defence systems and West because of its strategic advanced weaponry. It would partnership with Moscow. The be naïve to pretend that such United States cannot be an interests are irrelevant. Wars impartial intermediary have always enriched some because it is the principal even as they devastate many. supplier of Ukraine’s military President Volodymyr assistance. Türkiye has played Zelenskyy remains the useful facilitating roles, indispensable face of Ukrainian particularly in earlier grain resistance. To millions across export arrangements, but the democratic world, he lacks the leverage to impose symbolises extraordinary a comprehensive settlement. courage and national India enjoys credibility with resilience. Yet, his leadership both Moscow and Kyiv and has has also become increasingly consistently advocated controversial. Critics point to dialogue over escalation. Yet allegations of corruption, New Delhi has consciously restrictions on political refrained from assuming the opposition during wartime, mantle of formal mediator, and reports questioning the preferring instead to preserve personal fortunes its strategic autonomy and accumulated by individuals maintain communication with close to the political all parties. This diplomatic establishment. Allegations vacuum is perhaps the have periodically surfaced greatest tragedy of all regarding offshore assets and The central obstacle is that overseas properties linked to both sides still believe time Zelenskyy himself. Some of may improve their bargaining these claims are unverified or position. Ukraine hopes that disputed, but in wartime, truth sustained Western assistance itself often becomes another will eventually weaken Russia casualty, buried beneath sufficiently to compel propaganda emanating from meaningful concessions. all sides. Russia, for its part, has demonstrated greater resilience than many Western policymakers anticipated. Severe sanctions were expected to cripple its economy rapidly. Instead, Moscow adjusted by redirecting trade towards Asia, expanding economic links with China, India and several Global South countries, and restructuring supply chains. Nevertheless, resilience should not be mistaken for immunity. Inflationary pressures have risen, labour shortages have intensified, defence expenditure now consumes an 04-08-2026 Tuesday ÷÷kkuuffrr{{ººkk,, 2 LLOOKKMMIITTRRAA íktºke©eLke f÷{u [ku{k‚k™k …zfkh ðå[u …rù{ hu÷ðu™k ðzkuËhk {tz¤u Ëþkoðe Œí…hŒk, «¼krðŒ hu÷¾tz …h ykuAk ‚{Þ{kt …w™:MÚkkr…Œ fÞwO ‚whrûkŒ hu÷ …rh[k÷™ f{or™c hu÷ f{o[kheyku îkhk „¼t [Showing first 8,000 characters — download PDF for full document]