India-Bangladesh Ties After Hasina: The Road Ahead

India-Bangladesh Ties After Hasina

Syllabus

GS 2: India and its Neighbourhood

Why in the News?

Recently, reports of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s possible visit to New Delhi have renewed attention towards bilateral relations, historical tensions, strategic concerns, and future cooperation between neighbours.

Introduction

• India and Bangladesh share deep historical, cultural, geographical, and economic connections.
• However, their relationship has faced repeated tensions since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.
• Historical memories, national identity, political differences, and concerns about Indian influence have shaped bilateral ties.
• Both countries now need practical cooperation and mutual respect for lasting stability.

Historical Roots of Bilateral Tensions

Legacy of 1971

• The origins of present tensions can be traced to Bangladesh’s liberation from Pakistan in 1971.
• Bangladesh’s political and social elites have often balanced appreciation for India with discomfort over its decisive role.
• India provided crucial political, humanitarian, and military support during Bangladesh’s liberation struggle.
• Although the Mukti Bahini played an important role, India’s military intervention delivered the decisive defeat to Pakistani forces.
• This contribution initially created deep gratitude, but gradually became a source of national discomfort.
• Bangladeshis naturally prefer a national story in which their own people remain the central actors in liberation.
• The feeling that India played the role of liberator sometimes created unease within Bangladesh’s political identity.

Concerns About Indian Influence

• Bangladesh’s leaders also worried that Indian policy might be influenced heavily by neighbouring West Bengal.
• West Bengal shares strong linguistic and cultural connections with Bangladesh, creating concerns about Bangladesh’s independent identity.
• Open borders after liberation also revived memories of Hindu bhadralok dominance in pre-Partition Bengal.
• These historical experiences contributed to fears that close relations could weaken Bangladesh’s political and cultural independence.
• Bangladesh’s nationalism therefore developed partly around protecting its identity from perceived Indian domination.

Geography and the Fear of Dependence

• Bangladesh is surrounded by India on three sides, making geography a central factor in its foreign policy.
• The two countries share a border extending more than 4,000 kilometres, creating extensive security and connectivity links.
• Bangladesh’s major rivers either originate in India or flow through Indian territory before reaching Bangladesh.
• This geographical dependence affects water sharing, trade, transportation, and strategic choices.
• Bangladesh’s leaders have often felt that its economic and strategic freedom remains limited by its location.
• Fear of domination by a much larger neighbour became an important element of Bangladeshi nationalism.
• Consequently, Dhaka has frequently sought relationships with other powers to balance India’s regional influence.

Changing Political Relations After 1971

From Cooperation to Distance

• The early period after independence witnessed close cooperation between Bangladesh and India.
• Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi shared strong political goodwill and supported bilateral cooperation.
• However, relations changed considerably after Mujib’s government ended.
• Successive governments deliberately reduced their dependence on India and sought a more independent foreign policy.
• Under Ziaur Rahman, Bangladeshi nationalism increasingly adopted an Islamic character, unlike the Bengali linguistic nationalism associated with liberation.
• This ideological shift also changed Bangladesh’s approach towards India and regional partnerships.

Foreign Policy Diversification

• Dhaka developed closer relations with Pakistan, China, and the United States to balance India’s regional power.
• New Delhi often viewed such moves as unnecessary hostility towards India.
• Bangladesh, however, understood these relationships as efforts to protect strategic autonomy.
• For a smaller country, maintaining relations with several major powers can reduce dependence on one powerful neighbour.
• This difference in interpretation became a lasting source of misunderstanding between New Delhi and Dhaka.

India in Bangladesh’s Domestic Politics

Political Identity and India

• Relations with India gradually became part of Bangladesh’s domestic political competition and national identity.
• The Awami League remained associated with the secular and Bengali-nationalist ideals of the 1971 liberation movement.
• It generally supported close relations with India because of shared historical and political interests.
• The Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies developed a more cautious and suspicious approach towards New Delhi.
• India therefore became more than a foreign policy concern; it became a symbol within Bangladesh’s political debate.
• Political parties used different interpretations of national identity to explain their preferred relationship with India.

India’s Support for Sheikh Hasina

• India increasingly connected its regional interests with Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League government.
• New Delhi viewed Hasina’s administration as important for security cooperation and stability along India’s eastern borders.
• However, criticism grew within Bangladesh regarding the increasingly authoritarian nature of her government.
• Many Bangladeshis believed India prioritised its security interests over the country’s democratic development.
• This perception weakened India’s image among sections of Bangladesh’s population.
• The relationship became vulnerable because Indian policy appeared closely tied to one political leader.

2024 Political Change

• Sheikh Hasina’s government was overthrown in August 2024, creating a major crisis for India’s Bangladesh policy.
• Her departure to India strengthened the belief that New Delhi had supported the political order removed from power.
• India’s continued refusal to extradite Hasina has remained a significant source of bilateral disagreement.
• The Hasina issue has therefore continued to affect diplomatic relations and public perceptions.
• The political transition also demonstrated the risks of India relying heavily on one political party.
• India must now build relations with Bangladesh’s state institutions and society, rather than depending on a single leadership.

Tarique Rahman and the New Political Phase

• The Bangladesh Nationalist Party returned to power in February 2026 following the election of Tarique Rahman as Prime Minister.
• Rahman also serves as the BNP Chairman, giving him a central role in Bangladesh’s political direction.
• His possible visit to New Delhi in November or December has raised expectations of renewed diplomatic engagement.
• Both countries have strong reasons to avoid a lasting breakdown in relations.
• Functional engagement has resumed, although deep mistrust continues to affect bilateral discussions.
• The new political phase offers an opportunity to rebuild ties through practical cooperation and mutual understanding.

Lessons for India’s Foreign Policy

Gratitude Cannot Replace National Interest

• India should recognise that Bangladesh’s gratitude for the 1971 liberation cannot permanently determine its foreign policy.
• National interests and identity concerns usually last longer than historical feelings of appreciation.
• Repeatedly reminding Bangladesh of India’s liberation contribution may produce discomfort rather than goodwill.
• Such references can strengthen the very fears of dependence that have troubled bilateral relations since independence.
• India should respect Bangladesh’s desire to present its liberation as a national achievement.

India Must Exercise Restraint

• India’s size and regional influence create responsibilities towards its smaller neighbours.
• Preponderant power should be exercised with sensitivity, restraint, and respect for neighbouring countries’ political choices.
• India should avoid treating cooperation as a favour that automatically requires political reciprocity.
• This principle is particularly important in sensitive areas such as sharing river waters.
• A more respectful approach can reduce fears of domination and improve public confidence in India.

Bangladesh’s Strategic Responsibilities

• Bangladesh must also recognise that geography cannot be changed through foreign policy choices.
• Its relationships with China, Pakistan, and the United States cannot replace practical cooperation with India.
• Bangladesh shares major rivers, extensive borders, and essential regional connectivity links with its neighbour.
• Strategic autonomy should not mean automatic opposition to India or rejection of mutually beneficial cooperation.
• Dhaka must manage its external partnerships without allowing political competition to damage its essential regional interests.
• A balanced foreign policy can protect Bangladesh’s independence while maintaining stable relations with New Delhi.

Way Forward

• Both countries should move beyond historical grievances and focus on shared interests involving security, trade, connectivity, and development.
• Regular political dialogue can help address sensitive concerns before they become larger diplomatic disputes.
• River-water sharing requires fair, transparent, and cooperative arrangements that recognise the needs of both societies.
• Economic cooperation should expand through trade facilitation, transport links, energy partnerships, and regional connectivity.
• India should engage with Bangladesh’s elected leadership, institutions, political parties, and people more broadly.
• Bangladesh should prevent domestic political competition from turning India into a permanent symbol of opposition.
• Both countries must recognise that regional stability depends on cooperation rather than suspicion.
• Their security, economic development, and long-term stability remain closely connected.

Conclusion

India and Bangladesh must move beyond historical tensions through restraint, respect, and practical cooperation. Their shared geography makes lasting partnership essential. Mutual trust can protect regional stability while preserving both countries’ sovereignty and national interests.

Source: The Hindu

Mains Practice Question

Historical memories and national identity continue to influence India-Bangladesh relations. Examine the major causes of bilateral tensions since 1971.