Online Desk: Michael Kugelman, the South Asia director at the Wilson Center in Washington DC, has said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been especially adept at balancing relations with developed and developing worlds, with India and China, with West and non-West, and so on.

“This is a country that, much like India, has showed a strong capacity to balance rivalries instead of succumb to them,” he was quoted as saying in a report published by DW.

Kugelman said he believes Bangladesh won’t be forced to choose a side and will be able to balance between the superpowers quite well.

He said Bangladesh is successfully “reaping the benefits of great power competition” in its relationship with China and India.

“Its economic and defense ties with Beijing have grown significantly in recent years. We’ve gotten to the point where China is financing Bangladesh’s first submarine base. This is another reflection of Dhaka’s successes as a balancer,” the analyst told DW.

The government, referring to international observers, said the 12th National Parliament election of Bangladesh was held on January 7 in a free, fair, transparent, festive atmosphere and with large participation of the people.