The Trajectory of India-Bangladesh Ties in Post-Hasina Times

By : Amit Ranjan

Page No: 143-157

Abstract
The fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh has thrown up serious geo-political challenges for India. This essay discusses the underlying causes of the political upheaval in Bangladesh. It recalls and evaluates the development of India-Bangladesh relations during Sheikh Hasina’s rule, during which bilateral relations were marked by several positive developments. Yet, there were important issues, such as water sharing arrangements, which remained unresolved, seemingly to the disadvantage of Bangladesh. A narrative was floated that Sheikh Hasina was being soft towards India, which in turn helped build up an anti-India sentiment among certain sections of Bangladesh’s society. The author assesses that in the short term, the interim government, or the government to be formed post-election in Bangladesh, is unlikely to be sensitive to India’s interests and concerns, in contrast to Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. However, in the long run, Bangladesh will have to closely engage with India due to the interplay of geography as well as economic and political factors.

Author :
Amit Ranjan is a Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2024.19.3.1