[🇧🇩] Indo-Bangla Relation: India's Regional Ambition, Geopolitical Reality, and Strategic Options For Bangladesh

[Saif]

Dhaka asks New Delhi not to interfere in Bangladesh's internal affairs

Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin briefed journalists following the Foreign Office Consultation between Bangladesh and India

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Dhaka asks New Delhi not to interfere in Bangladesh's internal affairs
Bangladesh asks India not to interfere in internal affairs

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin told journalists after the Foreign Office Consultation with his Indian counterpart today that Dhaka has asked New Delhi not to interfere in Bangladesh's internal affairs.

"We said people of all religions in Bangladesh freely practice their faiths. This is our internal affair. It is not expected [of other countries] to make comments on our internal affairs. We don't do it for other countries," he said.

India recently issued statements after the arrest and denial of bail of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das. There have been demonstrations in various parts of India and an attack on the Bangladesh mission in Agartala as well.​

 

[Saif]

Want to work closely with interim govt of Bangladesh: Indian foreign secretary

Earlier, he led the Foreign Office Consultation with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin

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Want to work closely with interim govt of Bangladesh: Indian foreign secretary
Vikram Misri and Md Jashim Uddin discussions

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri with Bangladeshi Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

India has underlined it's desire to work closely with the interim government of Bangladesh.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said this to reporters after a courtesy call on Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain.

Earlier, he led the Foreign Office Consultation with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin at the state guest house Padma.

He is scheduled to call on Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna later.

"Today's discussions have given both of us the opportunity to take stock of our relations, and I appreciate the opportunity today to have had a frank, candid and constructive exchange of views with all my interlocutors," Misri told reporters at the foreign ministry today.

"I emphasised on a positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh," he added.

He said they have always seen in the past and will continue to see in the future the relationship as a people-centric and people-oriented relationship—one that has the benefits of all the people as it's central motivational force.

"This is reflected on a daily basis with development projects that have been executed on the ground in Bangladesh and that continue to be developed. It is also reflected in the mutually beneficial engagement we have on a whole set of issues ranging from trade, commerce, connectivity, power, water, energy, development and other areas of cooperation," he added.

Vikram Misri said there is no reason why this mutually beneficial relationship should not continue to develop in the interest of our people.

"To that end, therefore, I have underlined today India's desire to work closely with the interim government of Bangladesh authorities," he said.

At the same time, we also had the opportunity to discuss certain recent developments and issues, and I conveyed our concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities.

He briefed reporters that they also discussed some regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious and diplomatic properties.

"We expect overall constructive approach on all these issues by the Bangladesh authorities and we look forward to moving the relationship forward in a positive, forward looking and constructive direction."​

 

[Saif]

Why India cannot afford to undermine Bangladesh

Bangladesh and India stand at a crossroads; let us hope they choose the path of cooperation, not conflict.

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Why India cannot afford to undermine Bangladesh

VISUAL: BIPLOB CHAKROBORTY

While India's role in Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War is noteworthy, it is equally important to acknowledge Bangladesh's contributions to the making of modern India, as their historical significance extends long before independence. The Bengal region, encompassing both Bangladesh and eastern India, was a vibrant hub of intellectual, artistic, spiritual, political and economic activities during British colonial rule. It was here that many of British India's most significant independence movements took root, from the literary works of Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam to the revolutionary undertakings of Surya Sen, Shariatullah and Titumir, as well as the political leadership of Sher-e-Bangla, Bhashani and Suhrawardy, all of which played a crucial role in shaping the sociopolitical landscape. Today, Bangladesh continues this legacy by contributing to regional stability, playing a crucial role as a geo-strategic buffer, which in turn protects India's own security and development.

The Bangladesh-India relationship is shaped by a complex blend of geopolitical, historical and sociocultural factors. However, in recent times, it increasingly feels like a tense battleground. With Bangladesh sharing a direct border with India's strategically crucial Chicken's Neck, any instability within Bangladesh could ripple across the region, destabilising India including its northeastern Seven Sisters states, thus exacerbating the current tensions. The two countries share a sprawling 4,096 km border, the fifth longest in the world, and not all of it has yet been fully demarcated. So, the countries should ideally be partners in growth and development. Yet, this potential remains largely unrealised, with the relationship taking an ironic turn nowadays. Rather than fostering trust and mutual prosperity, India's often domineering approach and ongoing grievances have deeply strained this partnership.

While many might assume that Bangladesh, as the smaller nation, stands to lose more from this discord, the reality is quite the opposite. If Bangladesh succeeds in reducing its reliance on India, it could emerge as a powerful regional player in the Global South, while India risks losing significant economic and geopolitical opportunities. Bangladesh's rapid rise is one of the most compelling development stories of the 21st century. It surpassed India in GDP per capita some time ago and also outpaced it in key human development indicators, including life expectancy, gender equality, and poverty reduction, with notable achievements in women's empowerment and microfinance serving as global models of development.

This shift towards greater self-reliance is not unprecedented, and our subcontinent's history offers important lessons on how trade restrictions can often backfire, leading affected countries to bolster their domestic capacities. A notable example is India's own response to military supply challenges during the Sino-Indian conflict of 1962, which spurred the development of its domestic defence industry. Similarly, India's ban on cattle exports to Bangladesh played a pivotal role in helping Bangladesh achieve self-sufficiency in this area, as local farmers and traders turned to cattle rearing, drastically reducing the country's reliance on imported animals. Today, Bangladesh is nearly fully self-reliant in meeting its cattle demand, even during the Eid-ul-Azha festival, which includes cattle sacrifice and the distribution of the meat among the poor nationwide. Likewise, recurring challenges in sourcing essential commodities like onions, potatoes, and garlic from India signal that Bangladesh is likely to continue boosting its domestic production, further strengthening its economic resilience.

This trend extends to the healthcare sector as well, where there are newfound tensions surrounding the rejection of Bangladeshi patients and surgery refusals by Indian hospitals, which not only breach the Hippocratic Oath—the ethical pledge taken by physicians, including those in India—but also risk backfiring. Such actions could prompt Bangladesh to further invest in and strengthen its own healthcare infrastructure. Moreover, this has already contributed to an increasing number of Bangladeshi patients seeking treatment in Malaysia rather than India. These challenges may ultimately drive Bangladesh towards greater self-sufficiency, fostering long-term growth in critical sectors, including RMG, where it can reduce dependency on India for raw materials like cotton and energy. This could also encourage new partnerships in non-traditional markets.

India's behaviour towards Bangladesh becomes even more perplexing when compared to the dynamics of other successful neighbourly relationships. For example, the United States and Canada have built a partnership based on mutual respect, balanced trade, and shared goals. Despite being the larger power, the US recognises Canada's strategic importance and treats it as an equal. Similarly, Australia and New Zealand share a relationship defined by economic integration and cultural camaraderie. In contrast, India has treated Bangladesh more like an afterthought, undermining what could have been a mutually beneficial relationship by treating Bangladesh as a partner in South Asia's shared future. Water-sharing, particularly from the Teesta River, highlights India's short-sightedness. While Bangladesh depends on the river for agriculture, India's unilateral control has endangered millions of livelihoods in the northern part of the country.

India's reluctance to open its markets to Bangladeshi products reflects a patronising attitude, assuming that Bangladesh will always remain dependent. Yet, this dependency is steadily eroding. Bangladesh is actively diversifying its trade partnerships, and strengthening ties with China, the European Union, and Southeast Asia. While Dhaka maintains cordial relations with both the US and China, balancing these alliances becomes increasingly complex as global rivalries escalate. Rather than acting as a bridge to these blocs, India is increasingly behaving like a gatekeeper. If India continues on this path, it risks finding itself surrounded by neighbours—Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Maldives, and Myanmar—more aligned with others than with New Delhi. The irony is striking: in its attempt to assert dominance over Bangladesh, India may have inadvertently accelerated its own marginalisation, sidelining itself in its own backyard.

Bangladesh's rising stature on the global stage is earning respect and influence in international forums. Twenty-eight European Union (EU) envoys altogether are set to meet Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus for the first time ever to reaffirm the EU's support and commitment to high-level cooperation. Of the 28 EU diplomats, 20 are coming from New Delhi. This diplomatic move highlights Dhaka's growing importance in global affairs. As the world increasingly recognises Bangladesh's potential, India risks being viewed as a nation that is unable to foster positive relationships with its neighbours, even failing to honour the Vienna Convention by its inability to safeguard a neighbouring country's diplomatic mission. This could undermine India's aspirations for a greater role in global governance, including its bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

The tale of two neighbours does not necessarily have to be a tragedy. Bangladesh and India stand at a crossroads; let us hope they choose the path of cooperation, not conflict.

Dr Iftekhar Ul Karim is assistant professor at BRAC Business School, BRAC University.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh-India relations shrouded in cloud, it has to be removed

Vikram Misri conveyed a message while meeting the Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus at the state guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka on Monday.

en.prothomalo.com

Bangladesh-India relations shrouded in cloud, it has to be removed
Special Correspondent
Dhaka
Published: 09 Dec 2024, 21: 02

Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri meets Chief Adviser to the interim government Dr Muhammad Yunus at the state guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka on 9 December 2024. Collected

Visiting Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri conveyed a message to Dhaka that the bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh have been shrouded in a cloud and that cloud has to be removed. Bangladesh also reiterated that it has to be removed.

Vikram Misri conveyed this message when he called on the Chief Adviser to the interim government, Dr Muhammad Yunus, at the state guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka on Monday.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change affairs Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan briefed the media on the remarks of the Indian foreign secretary at the meeting, as well as the stance of the interim government.

Replying to queries from journalists, Syeda Rizwana Hasan said, “We have responded to propaganda in various ways including written statements and verbal remarks, but there are very few chances to show the events that have happened so far as communal incidents. Sometimes those were due to personal issues, but mostly well political incidents."

"Our stance is clear - the Bangladesh government is not part of it and they will by no means tolerate it either. Legal processes have been followed against those who face allegations and as per the nature of the allegations. In this circumstance, Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri conveyed a message that a cloud has shrouded the bilateral relations between us and this cloud will have to be removed. We also said this cloud has to be removed,” she added.​

 

[Krishna with Flute]

This is what happens when stakes are large (such as being emperor of Mughal India). No different in contemporary European countries or Middle East. Study some history.

Babulal or Bilal, either is fine with me. I am who I am.

Babar has written in Babarnama that he was willing to be a Shahid for the sake of Islam but Allah made him Gazi. It was their history. Most liberal Mughal king Akbar has written in his biography that he butchered 30000 innocent civilian in attack of Chittod and you call them liberal! Hitler too killed Jews but nobody call him liberal. It is only the Muslims and particularly converted Muslims who tries to justify everything of those brutal kings and those uncivilized sex manic Arabs who are their religious icons.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Bangladesh is not Sri Lanka.

Indians keep forgetting.

Economically in collective sense - it is a close equivalent of Pakistan now, maybe not militarily.

That is why I say that BD will go on Pakistan way not on SL way. SL survived with the help of India but you guys will kill each other for food like what is happening in Pakistan.

 

[Mainerik]

That is why I say that BD will go on Pakistan way not on SL way. SL survived with the help of India but you guys will kill each other for food like what is happening in Pakistan.

But India is higher on the hunger index than all its neighbors..

 

[Krishna with Flute]

But India is higher on the hunger index than all its neighbors..

Those who fed on our India's food grain supplies and khairat of Arab nation thinks that India is hungry than I am nobody to take their fun away from them. Anyway, IMF has told that India has finished off hunger poverty. We are in post hunger poverty elemination stage. Our government has provided free medical treatment upto Rs 1000000 to over half of our population. Our government has provided free houses to over 20 crore people and free cooking gas connection to over 9 crore families i.e about 36 crore people. These figures more than the population of all the countries of world baring 5 nations of the world.