Tarang Shakti, the annual air exercise of various countries, has started in Jodhpur in the northwestern state of Rajasthan, India. This exercise which started on August 29 will continue till September 14. However, Bangladesh will not participate in that exercise by canceling the decision.

Originally, the C-130 cargo aircraft of the Bangladesh Air Force was supposed to participate in the exercise. However, Bangladesh will send some high-ranking military officers to India as observers even if they do not participate in the exercise.

Indian media The Print reported this information in a report on Tuesday (September 3). Dhaka has backed off its decision to send its C-130 transport aircraft for the second phase of Tarang Shakti, India's first major multilateral international air exercise since the political pot-change in Bangladesh, the media said.

However, even though Bangladesh will not participate in the exercise, it will send three senior military officers as observers, several sources in the Indian Defense Ministry said. These sources emphasized that Bangladesh is not boycotting this exercise.

Sources also told The Print that since Bangladesh did not participate in the exercise, now Sri Lanka will participate in it with two B-200 Super King maritime surveillance aircraft. Although the country was not supposed to send aircraft in this exercise.

Two rounds of air exercise Tarang Shakti are being held in India. The first phase took place from August 6 to August 14. Bangladesh Air Force participated in it. But Bangladesh has informed New Delhi that it will not participate in the second phase of the exercise.

It has been reported that several other countries including the United States, Singapore, Australia, Greece, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Japan are participating in this exercise in India.

According to the Indian press, Bangladesh is believed to have taken this decision due to the change in the ruling power of the country. Relations between India and Bangladesh deteriorated overnight after Sheikh Hasina fled the post of Prime Minister and took refuge in India in the face of massive student protests.

Bangladesh did not take the decision to give shelter to Sheikh Hasina in India. On top of that, the finger has been pointed towards India with the recent severe floods in the northeastern part of Bangladesh. In this situation, it is believed that Bangladesh has decided to skip the air exercise in India.
According to The Print, a 14-member interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus took over after Hasina was ousted on August 5 following massive student protests. With the swearing in of the new government, India's relations with Bangladesh have fallen into crisis.

Besides, there are increasing calls from Bangladesh to extradite Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka. At the same time, the new government has also openly criticized Hasina's decision to seek refuge in New Delhi since assuming power.