Bangladesh India Out Campaign: Like Maldives, ‘India Out’ campaign was also launched in Bangladesh, but this campaign seems to have failed in Bangladesh. The main opposition party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, had started the ‘India Out’ campaign against India by boycotting the general elections. In January, BNP general secretary Rahul Kabir Rizvi threw his Indian shawl on the ground and set it on fire, directly expressing solidarity with the ‘India Out’ movement. After this, the parties did a lot of publicity on social media regarding this movement, but the protest did not take off on the ground.
According to the report of Dainik Bhaskar, regarding this, Professor Imtiaz Ahmed of the International Relations Department of Dhaka University says that BNP did not get anything after the elections and they suddenly started ‘India Out’ movement. Didn’t even do basic work like connecting common people.
Protest started in January
Boycott India campaign was started in Bangladesh on 17 January. Small political parties started this. Through social media he appealed for boycott of Indian goods and services. Also asked to buy and promote products made in Bangladesh.
Dependence on India, yet protested
Bangladesh’s imports depend on India and China. According to the World Bank, 12% of Bangladesh’s total imports in 2021-22 were from India, which has now increased to 16%. According to the Indian Embassy, apart from industrial raw materials like cotton and yarn, import of everyday items has increased rapidly in the last 3 years. Chandanichak and New Market in Dhaka are famous for Indian clothes. Traders say that sales of Indian goods have increased after the elections. Due to the campaign, the scared businessmen are now relieved.
Vegetables even come from India
Vegetables, oil, cosmetics, clothes, mobiles and vehicles go to Bangladesh from India only. People there also buy luxury items coming from India like jewelery and fashionable clothes. There is a lot of demand in Bangladesh for raw materials, cotton and also skilled artisans.