Revitalizing India–Bangladesh Relations

• 22 Dec 2025

For Prelims: Parliamentary Standing Committee, Lalmonirhat Airfield, Ganga Water Treaty 1996, Padma (Ganges), Jamuna (Brahmaputra), Meghna, Sundarbans, Mangrove Forest, St. Martin’s Island, Akhaura-Agartala Rail Link, India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline.    

For Mains: Key aspects of India–Bangladesh relations, Recent changes in Bangladesh and its impact on India. Steps needed to revitalize bilateral relations and address current challenges. 

Source: TH 

Why in News? 

A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, titled ‘Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship’, has highlighted that developments in Bangladesh represent the most significant strategic challenge to India since the 1971 Liberation War. 

Summary 

• Bangladesh’s political shift poses India’s biggest regional challenge since 1971, testing deep-rooted bilateral cooperation in trade, connectivity, energy, and defense.  
• To revitalize ties, India must recalibrate by engaging all stakeholders, transparently managing sensitive issues, and offering competitive partnerships to secure strategic influence. 

What are the Recent Developments in Bangladesh that Present Strategic Challenges to India? 

• Fundamental Political Realignment: The August 2024 fall of the pro-India Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina ended a long period of political stability in Bangladesh.  
  • Meanwhile, Bangladesh has seen the rise of new forces like the National Citizen Party (NCP), launched by student activists instrumental in the anti-Awami League protests and the return of Jamaat-e-Islami, a conservative Islamist political party, widely perceived as holding anti-India views. 
• Intensifying External Influence: Bangladesh’s deepening strategic engagement with China (e.g., China to upgrade the Lalmonirhat airfield in Bangladesh near India’s chicken’s neck), along with a resurgence of Pakistani outreach (e.g., Pakistan Navy frigate PNS Saif visited Bangladesh), risks diluting India’s traditional influence.  
• Anti-India Protests and Communal Violence: The killing of Bangladeshi youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi sparked violent unrest, during which India’s Assistant High Commission in Chattogram was vandalised, showing how Bangladesh’s internal turmoil can affect diplomatic relations. 
• India’s Humanitarian Response: India’s humanitarian decision to shelter the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has become a bilateral irritant, with Bangladesh’s interim government accusing her of fomenting trouble from Indian soil and demanding her extradition, while India maintains it offers no political platform. 
• Critical Bilateral Issues in Limbo: The crucial Ganga Water Treaty 1996 is due for renewal in December 2026, but formal discussions with Bangladesh are yet to begin, risking a strategic vacuum and potential disputes. 
• Shifting Societal Sentiments: A new generation, less tied to the 1971 liberation history, is fueling a nationalism that is often skeptical of India. This confluence of resurgent Islamist groups and assertive youth nationalism creates internal volatility with direct spillover implications for India's security. 
  • E.g., Hasnat Abdullah, leader of Bangladesh’s NCP, warned about separating India’s 7 Northeastern states from the mainland and offered shelter to Indian separatist groups.

What are the Implications of these Developments in Bangladesh on India? 

• Geopolitical & Security: Fall of pro-India Sheikh Hasina removes strategic certainty and security cooperation, while China's upgrade of Lalmonirhat airfield near the Siliguri Corridor and Pakistani outreach intensify the two-front war concern. 
• Internal Security: Instability increases the risk of illegal migration and infiltration, while communal violence and the rise of radical groups contribute to potential communal polarization and the spread of radicalization across borders. 
• Diplomatic: Sheltering Hasina creates an extradition dilemma and accusations of interference, as anti-India protests erode goodwill and complicate critical negotiations like the Ganga Water Treaty. 
• Economic: Political instability and anti-India sentiment threaten connectivity projects, undermining India's Neighbourhood First and Act East policies. 
• Narrative: India is losing the perception battle, widely seen as an imperialist power that propped up an authoritarian regime. 

Bangladesh

• About: Bangladesh is a country located in South Asia, sharing extensive land borders with India to the west, north, and northeast, and a border with Myanmar to the southeast. It has a coastline along the Bay of Bengal.  
• River Systems: The country is predominantly a vast, low-lying delta formed by the Padma (Ganges), Jamuna (Brahmaputra), and Meghna rivers. 
  • The fertile flood plains of the Padma, Jamuna, and Meghna rivers and their tributaries cover nearly 80% of the country's land. 
• Biodiversity: The Sundarbans—the world's largest tidal mangrove forest—is a critical ecosystem and home to the endangered Bengal tiger.  
  • St. Martin’s Island is the nation's only coral-bearing island and is protected as a marine park, sheltering endangered turtles and unique coral species. 

What has been the Status of India-Bangladesh Relations to Date? 

• Political & Diplomatic Engagement: Bangladesh is a central pillar of India’s foreign policy, acting as the convergence point for the Neighbourhood First Policy, Act East Policy 2014, and Indo-Pacific policies. 
  • Both countries engage actively in regional groupings such as SAARC, BIMSTEC, BBIN, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to manage and reduce diplomatic tensions.  
• Boundary and Maritime Settlements: The 2015 Land Boundary Agreement and maritime delimitation stand as landmark peaceful settlements that contribute significantly in maintaining stability and goodwill in bilateral relations. 
• Multimodal Connectivity: 
  • Railways: Rehabilitation of 6 pre-1965 cross-border rail links; operation of 3 passenger trains (temporarily suspended); supply of railway wagons; crucial for connecting India’s Northeast. 
  • Roads: 5 operational bus routes connecting major cities. 
  • Inland Waterways: Protocol on Inland Waterways Trade and Transit (PIWTT) since 1972, including cruise services and new routes. 
  • Ports: Use of Chattogram and Mongla ports for Indian transit cargo to India's Northeast. 
  • Infrastructure: A network of Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) with more planned. 
• Economic Cooperation: Bangladesh is India’s largest trade partner in South Asia. Bilateral trade was USD 14.01 billion in FY 2023-24. 
  • Introduction of a mechanism to settle bilateral trade in Indian Rupees to reduce dollar dependency. 
• Power and Energy Cooperation: Bangladesh imports 1160 MW of electricity from India. The Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant (1320 MW) built with Indian assistance. 
  • The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline for High-Speed Diesel; Indian PSUs involved in oil exploration and supply. 
• Development Partnership: India has extended 3 Lines of Credits (LoCs) worth nearly USD 8 billion for infrastructure projects in roads, railways, ports, and a dedicated USD 500 million Defence LoC. 
  • Grant assistance for specific projects like the Akhaura-Agartala rail link and dredging. 
• Training and Capacity Building: Over 7,000 Bangladeshi civil servants and 1,250 judicial officers trained in Indian institutions since 2014. Approximately 1,350 defence personnel trained in India.

How can India and Bangladesh Revitalize their Bilateral Relations? 

• Institutional Crisis Management: Establish a formal India–Bangladesh political crisis response mechanism, involving a senior envoy and dedicated foreign ministry channel, to enable rapid fallout management, prevent escalation, and safeguard diplomatic assets.  
  • Additionally, create a High-Level Consular Coordination Cell to ensure secure visa operations and safe mobility of citizens in both countries. 
• Engage Beyond Governments: Engage proactively with all political parties, civil society, youth groups, media, and intellectuals in Bangladesh to avoid the perception of favoring one faction. Intensify Track 1.5 and Track II dialogues to address crisis perceptions, counter misinformation, and build soft bridges. 
  • Maintain a transparent and consistent narrative on providing refuge to Sheikh Hasina, strictly framing it as a humanitarian and civilizational gesture, not political patronage. 
• Transparent Water Diplomacy: Initiate technical and political discussions on the Ganga Water Treaty renewal well before the 2026 deadline. Adopt a basin-wide management approach on other shared rivers (Teesta, etc.), potentially involving joint hydrological models and data sharing to build trust. 
• Nurturing the Spirit of 1971 for a New Generation: Promote people-centric cultural initiatives like joint commemorations, relief efforts, and humanitarian projects to showcase India’s cultural ties without political bias. 
• Offer a Positive Alternative: Counter strategic competition not by demanding exclusivity, but by offering more attractive, transparent, and faster-implementing partnerships compared to other actors, particularly in infrastructure and development projects. 
• Intensify Security Coordination: Implement real-time border security protocols between the BSF and Bangladesh border forces, with joint hotlines to prevent cross-border infiltrations and miscalculations amid record infiltration attempts along the Indo–Bangladesh border in 2025. 

Conclusion 

India-Bangladesh relations are at a critical juncture, shaped by political realignments, youth nationalism, and external influences. Revitalization requires proactive diplomacy, strengthened connectivity, transparent resource management, and engagement with civil society. By balancing humanitarian concerns with strategic interests, India can sustain influence, ensure regional stability, and foster mutually beneficial partnerships. 

Drishti Mains Question:

In light of recent political changes in Dhaka, discuss the challenges and opportunities for revitalizing India- Bangladesh bilateral relationship.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Q. What strategic shift in Bangladesh has posed challenges for India post-2024? 
The fall of the pro-India Awami League government in August 2024 led to political instability, rise of Islamist forces, and increased external influence from China and Pakistan. 

Q. Why is Bangladesh critical to India’s Neighbourhood First and Act East policies? 
Bangladesh provides strategic connectivity to India’s Northeast, access to ports, energy cooperation, and acts as a gateway to Southeast Asia. 

Q. What are the Sundarbans? 
The Sundarbans is the world’s largest tidal mangrove forest, spanning southern West Bengal in India and Bangladesh. It is home to the Bengal tiger and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)

Q. Consider the following statements: (2020)

1. The value of Indo-Sri Lanka trade has consistently increased in the last decade. 
2. “Textile and textile articles” constitute an important item of trade between India and Bangladesh.  
3. In the last five years, Nepal has been the largest trading partner of India in South Asia. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?  

(a) 1 and 2 only   

(b) 2 only  

(c) 3 only   

(d) 1, 2 and 3  

Ans: (b)

Q. With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: (2017)

1. The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim.  
2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta.  
3. River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh.  

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 

(a) 1 and 3 only  

(b) 2 only  

(c) 2 and 3 only  

(d) 1, 2 and 3  

Ans: (b)

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Mains 

Q. Analyze internal security threats and transborder crimes along Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan borders including Line of Control (LoC). Also discuss the role played by various security forces in this regard. (2018)