Recently, a public disagreement emerged over the potential visit of the current Bangladeshi PM to the BRICS 2026 summit. India insisted that an invitation was sent to PM Tariq Rehman. Bangladesh, on the other hand, argued that the invitation to Rehman was given as the chair of BIMSTEC, not as PM; therefore, it is not feasible for him to visit India. Underlying this apparent protocol dispute are the deeper tensions between the two states that have existed since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina. This public spat between the two BIMSTEC partners is the latest in the long series of spats in the last few years.
Bangladesh is a vital state for India’s security, the BIMSTEC initiative, and India’s Act East Policy. Since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, both the states have shared close bilateral ties. India, being the primary factor behind the birth of the country, has been both a source of convergence and tensions, as this historical fact is interpreted differently by contending Bangladeshi political parties. India being a larger regional power doesn’t help. Similarly, illegal migration from Bangladesh, disagreement over river water-sharing mechanisms, the issue of Bangladeshi-origin Islamic fundamentalism, and the treatment of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh are long-standing issues that predate Hasina’s last regime.
The latest round of tensions is linked to India’s close ties with the Sheikh Hasina regime. India has historically always dealt with whichever party is in power in the country. However, this time around, the duration of her tenure and the nature of the regime made India’s dealings with the regime a partisan issue, not a mere bilateral one. The anger against Hasina was channelled against India too. Mixed with the above-mentioned longstanding sources of tension, ties have seen a significant downturn in the post-Hasina interim and Rahman governments.
Sheikh Hasina and India-Bangladesh Ties
Sheikh Hasina, who was in power since 2009, maintained close bilateral ties with India and other major Asian powers like China. Following the policy of “friendship with all and malice towards none”, the main focus of the Hasina government was economic growth and trade. As a result, both India and China became important partners “in the development trajectory of Bangladesh”. She also managed to settle the issue of the maritime boundary with India. More importantly, both countries signed an agreement that allowed India access to Bangladesh’s Chattogram and Mongla ports. The agreement was significant as it was intended to provide port access to Tripura, Mizoram and Assam.
There was also enhanced cooperation on thermal power and infrastructure. Both countries started a joint venture, the Maitree Super Thermal Power Project. Funded under the “Indian Concessional Financing Scheme loan of USD 1.6 billion”, the project “is a 1320 MW (2×660) Super Thermal Power Plant (MSTPP) located in Rampal in Khulna Division of Bangladesh”. There was also enhanced cooperation over road and railway infrastructure. India assisted with the “Akhaura-Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link and Khulna – Mongla Port Rail Line,” which were some of the infrastructure initiatives during the period.
Both countries also solved the longstanding issue of irregular boundaries and enclaves when they signed the 2015 Land Boundary Agreement. Under the 2017 defense cooperation framework, India also agreed to provide a 500-million-dollar line of credit to Bangladesh in order to procure Indian defense equipment. There was also the establishment of intelligence-sharing mechanisms.
In totality, despite longstanding structural issues, both sides had enhanced bilateral ties under Sheikh Hasina. This was also a weakness in the long term, as India-Bangladesh ties went downhill the moment Hasina was forced to flee because of a weeks-long anti-quota protest in the country.
Post-Hasina Bangladesh: Religious Minorities, China and Pakistan
Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina’s removal witnessed prolonged political violence against Awami League members and religious minorities. According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, there were verifiable attacks against the “Hindus, Ahmadiyya Muslims and indigenous people from the Chittagong Hill Tracts”. The interim government under Muhammad Yunus came under criticism from the Indian government over their failure to curb violence against the minorities.
The interim government under Yunus also changed its India policy, as it moved away from Hasina’s approach, wherein she maintained close economic and bilateral ties with both India and China. Breaking from the long-standing tradition of new Bangladeshi leaders visiting India on their first foreign visit, Yunus visited China in March 2025. The visit was mired in controversy as Yunus brought the Chinese into the Teesta River Management, bypassing India. Teesta River’s management has always been a bilateral issue, as the river originates in India’s Sikkim state and flows into Bangladesh through West Bengal. Making India’s strategic rival a party in the management of the river project was clearly seen as a challenge to India’s strategic interests.
This “assertive embrace” of China went beyond the Teesta River, as Bangladesh, for the first time in history, accepted the One China principle. Bangladesh-Pakistan ties also significantly improved during this period. Muhammad Yunus met “Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA in September 2024 and in Cairo on the sidelines of the D-8 Summit in December 2024”. It is this environment of suspicion and strained ties that the new BNP government in Bangladesh inherited as Tariq Rehman became PM in February 2026, replacing the interim government.
BNP Government and Future of India-Bangladesh Ties: A Way Forward
The BNP government has since its election, has shown more prudence when it comes to India ties. Just after swearing in, both sides cleared their intention to normalise the bilateral ties. However, the recent BRICS fiasco, where the Bangladeshi PM couldn’t come to India, certain quarters in Bangladesh insisting on joining the Mecca security pact, and BNP leader and chief whip Nurul Islam Moni insisting on a comprehensive review of 105 bilateral agreements, all point to the changing nature of India-Bangladesh ties. The bonhomie of the Hasina era is all but over. India must tread the complex strategic environment in the region with care. Managing Bangladesh is vital for India’s security at the eastern frontier and India’s position in South Asia. Bangladesh, as a much smaller economic power surrounded by India on three sides, also has no option but to maintain good bilateral ties with India. India’s historical ties, economic power, and geopolitical position provide it with leverage and the wherewithal over Bangladesh.
