Trump’s Tweet on Bangladesh shows his opportunism

Donald Trump has once again displayed a profound lack of understanding in global politics, this time with a tweet condemning the "barbaric attacks" on minorities in Bangladesh. Trump's tweet claims that Muslim-majority Bangladesh poses a severe threat to its Hindu minority. 

Unfortunately, this is no surprise. The former president's worldview has always been narrow, shaped not by knowledge or diplomacy but by a basic playbook focused on inciting his base. Trump doesn't know the intricacies of Bangladesh, nor does he care. His interest in international affairs stops at anything that can help his campaign or rile up his voter base.

Trump wants to ensure every vote, and stirring anti-Muslim sentiment among Hindu Americans could drive them to the polls. From a political perspective, it may be strategic, but morally, it's bankrupt. Rather than seeking to unite Americans, he's playing yet another divisive hand, fostering hatred and prejudice for personal gain. 

This is nothing new, as Trump's primary strategy has always been to play to the fears and biases of his supporters—often, those Americans who have been left behind by political and economic shifts and who are more susceptible to messages of fear regarding immigration, job loss, and foreign threats. 

Since he has little traction with progressive, liberal Americans, his approach involves stoking a false sense of insecurity about issues he frames as threatening to American values and stability. His support base, often less exposed to international issues, is easy to influence with such narratives, particularly when it comes to casting foreign nations and communities in a negative light.

Simultaneously, Trump's message appeals to his other key supporters: Wall Street and corporate elites who enjoy the benefits of his low-tax policies. By aligning himself with the interests of these business circles, he ensures the flow of donations necessary for his campaign. In this sense, Trump's agenda is painfully transparent: he has little genuine concern for international issues unless they serve his political ambition or line his coffers.

This recent tweet about Bangladesh goes further. Only a handful of words addressed Bangladesh directly, while the bulk of the message was a baseless attack on Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris, labelling them as "anti-Hindu." 

In parroting the recent anti-Bangladesh narrative being pushed by some sections of the Indian media, Trump is merely recycling the misinformation put forward by India after the abrupt end of Sheikh Hasina's tyrannical rule of a decade and a half on 05 August 2024 by the student-led popular uprising. But why would the Indian media cast such a shadow over its neighbour?

It's critical to recognise the context here. The Indian media landscape has increasingly been monopolised by the Modi administration's authoritarianism, which has suffocated independent journalism over the last decade. Media outlets that haven't fallen in line with Modi's narrative have either faced suppression or, in some cases, were forcibly taken over by allies of the government. 

Consequently, much of the information emerging from India's media apparatus today reflects the interests of the Modi regime. 

To fully grasp this dynamic, one must understand the depth of the India-Bangladesh relationship under Sheikh Hasina, the longest-serving Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Hasina's government was, in many ways, a "pet project" of the Indian deep state, no matter which political party was in power. 

Since her election in 2008, Hasina has prioritised India's strategic and security concerns, particularly regarding separatist movements in India's northeastern states. In exchange, India provided international legitimacy for Hasina's increasingly autocratic rule, overlooking the rampant corruption, human rights abuses, and political repression that characterised her administration. 

The Modi administration's preference for Hasina's government rested on her allegiance to India's geopolitical interests, especially in terms of countering security threats and economic interests. Her government served as a critical ally for India, blocking regional ISI (Pakistani intelligence) infiltration and providing secure corridors and ports at nominal economic costs.

But Hasina's ouster this past August marked a turning point, one that the Indian establishment was totally unprepared for. Her departure, therefore, left a void, one that India is eager to fill by portraying Bangladesh's new government, led by Noble Laureate Professor Yunus, the most widely known Bangladeshi around the world, as dangerously aligned with Islamist extremism.

It's essential to acknowledge that Bangladesh is probably not a utopia when it comes to communal harmony, but it's no hell hole, either. There have been sporadic instances of violence against minorities, but these cases are rarely the result of communal hatred. Often, they stem from personal rivalries or land disputes. 

After Hasina fled the country, unruly mobs attacked different police stations as they saw how members of the police force brutally murdered innocent protesters. During those few days, in the absence of security forces, there may have been isolated incidents of violence against minorities. But it's worth noting that many communities also displayed solidarity, with Muslim volunteers standing guard to protect Hindu neighbourhoods from these opportunistic attacks.

Moreover, in comparison to India, Bangladesh remains a relatively safe place for minorities. Under Modi's regime, India has seen an escalation in state-sanctioned minority discrimination, with frequent incidents of anti-Muslim violence and communal rhetoric. Modi himself, infamous for his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, earning the notoriety of being labelled as the "Butcher of Gujrat," has fostered an environment where intolerance flourishes. The same approach Trump uses to pander to white supremacists and anti-immigration hardliners, Modi has deployed to radicalise Hindu nationalism.

In truth, India's attempt to deflect its own minority persecution by labelling Bangladesh as "unsafe" for minorities reeks of hypocrisy. India's sheer size and media reach allow it to drown out dissenting voices and manipulate the narrative. So, when these narratives reach someone like Trump, who rarely verifies his sources, he seizes them without hesitation if they serve his ends. Trump's baseless claims about Bangladesh are a shameless ploy to energise Hindu-American voters, a group that has been largely supportive of him since his last term. 

Trump's move is not just reckless; it's dangerous. It could fuel unnecessary fear, deepen existing divides, and erode the sense of community among Americans of South Asian heritage. In his willingness to stir hatred for a few votes, Trump has once again reminded us why he remains an unfit leader. His political opportunism comes at a high cost, one that threatens the very fabric of a diverse and pluralistic society.

Dr Rushad Faridi is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard