'Wake-up call for India': Shashi Tharoor sounds alarm after Jamaat's shock win at Dhaka University
For New Delhi, this is "not just a blip" but "a worrying portent of things to come, a political tremor whose aftershocks could soon be felt on our side of the border."
- Sep 14, 2025,
- Updated Sep 14, 2025 11:25 AM IST
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has cautioned that India cannot afford to ignore political tremors from Bangladesh after the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) swept elections at Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU).
"The student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) swept the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) elections, a stunning victory that marks the first time an Islamist student group has gained control of this influential body since 1971," Tharoor wrote in an opinion piece for NDTV.
For New Delhi, he argued, this was "not just a blip" but "a worrying portent of things to come, a political tremor whose aftershocks could soon be felt on our side of the border."
A rejection of the old guard
Tharoor explained that the result at Dhaka University should be read as a rejection of Bangladesh's two dominant parties-the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Both, he said, are "synonymous – fairly or unfairly – with corruption, nepotism, and political violence, leaving a significant portion of the electorate disillusioned."
He stressed that the student vote for JeI was "less a ringing endorsement of Islamist fundamentalism and more a desperate cry for an alternative." The frustration, he noted, has been compounded by the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government after a student-led uprising and the arrival of a fragile interim administration under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Jamaat's new opening
The JeI, once suppressed by the Awami League, is now "finding a fertile ground to re-emerge and consolidate its influence." Its victory in Dhaka University-long a bastion of secular politics-underscores how the party has gained traction among a younger generation that did not directly witness its controversial role in the 1971 Liberation War.
With the Awami League banned and in disarray, and the BNP hamstrung by leadership crises, Tharoor said the path is clear for Jamaat to translate its grassroots presence into electoral gains in the 2026 general elections.
Risks for India
"A Jamaat-majority government or a powerful Jamaat presence in a new coalition would present a complex and potentially hostile scenario for India," he warned. Tharoor underlined that while India adheres to a doctrine of non-interference, "events in our immediate neighbourhood are never purely 'internal affairs'."
A radical government in Dhaka, he said, could embolden anti-India elements, work in cooperation with the Pakistani ISI, and pose fresh challenges along the border. He also highlighted risks for Bangladesh's Hindu minority, historically vulnerable during periods of Islamist ascendancy, and warned that JeI's "ideological core, rooted in a rejection of secular democracy," raised troubling questions about its future conduct.
Call for vigilance
"The Dhaka University election is a wake-up call. It is a sign that the political tectonic plates in Bangladesh are shifting," Tharoor wrote. He urged New Delhi to "closely monitor the situation, engage with all emerging political actors, including elements within the Jamaat, and prepare for a scenario where we may no longer have a friendly and stable government in Dhaka."
"The strategic partnership we have long relied upon with Bangladesh could be at risk, and the sooner we acknowledge and prepare for this new reality, the better equipped we will be to navigate the challenges that lie ahead," he concluded.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has cautioned that India cannot afford to ignore political tremors from Bangladesh after the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) swept elections at Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU).
"The student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) swept the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) elections, a stunning victory that marks the first time an Islamist student group has gained control of this influential body since 1971," Tharoor wrote in an opinion piece for NDTV.
For New Delhi, he argued, this was "not just a blip" but "a worrying portent of things to come, a political tremor whose aftershocks could soon be felt on our side of the border."
A rejection of the old guard
Tharoor explained that the result at Dhaka University should be read as a rejection of Bangladesh's two dominant parties-the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Both, he said, are "synonymous – fairly or unfairly – with corruption, nepotism, and political violence, leaving a significant portion of the electorate disillusioned."
He stressed that the student vote for JeI was "less a ringing endorsement of Islamist fundamentalism and more a desperate cry for an alternative." The frustration, he noted, has been compounded by the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government after a student-led uprising and the arrival of a fragile interim administration under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Jamaat's new opening
The JeI, once suppressed by the Awami League, is now "finding a fertile ground to re-emerge and consolidate its influence." Its victory in Dhaka University-long a bastion of secular politics-underscores how the party has gained traction among a younger generation that did not directly witness its controversial role in the 1971 Liberation War.
With the Awami League banned and in disarray, and the BNP hamstrung by leadership crises, Tharoor said the path is clear for Jamaat to translate its grassroots presence into electoral gains in the 2026 general elections.
Risks for India
"A Jamaat-majority government or a powerful Jamaat presence in a new coalition would present a complex and potentially hostile scenario for India," he warned. Tharoor underlined that while India adheres to a doctrine of non-interference, "events in our immediate neighbourhood are never purely 'internal affairs'."
A radical government in Dhaka, he said, could embolden anti-India elements, work in cooperation with the Pakistani ISI, and pose fresh challenges along the border. He also highlighted risks for Bangladesh's Hindu minority, historically vulnerable during periods of Islamist ascendancy, and warned that JeI's "ideological core, rooted in a rejection of secular democracy," raised troubling questions about its future conduct.
Call for vigilance
"The Dhaka University election is a wake-up call. It is a sign that the political tectonic plates in Bangladesh are shifting," Tharoor wrote. He urged New Delhi to "closely monitor the situation, engage with all emerging political actors, including elements within the Jamaat, and prepare for a scenario where we may no longer have a friendly and stable government in Dhaka."
"The strategic partnership we have long relied upon with Bangladesh could be at risk, and the sooner we acknowledge and prepare for this new reality, the better equipped we will be to navigate the challenges that lie ahead," he concluded.