WHEN Sheikh听Hasina鈥檚 16-year hold on Bangladeshi politics snapped during the student-led uprising in July-August, 2024, few in South Block were prepared for the geopolitical whiplash that followed. After she escaped to India, the interim government of Bangladesh demanded the extradition of Hasina, which India has so far rejected. This, along with hundreds of other issues, created severe tension in bilateral relations. Bangladesh rejected India鈥檚 interference in its internal affairs, and anti-India rhetoric intensified. India, willingly putting 鈥榓ll its eggs in the Awami League basket,鈥� seems yet to process the fact that the eggs are broken and the goose has escaped too.
Amid these challenges, there are signs of reflection and opportunity. Recently, Indian MPs from across party lines have voiced strong support for a forward-looking approach to relations with Bangladesh during a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs. Emphasising Bangladesh鈥檚 strategic importance, they called for rebuilding trust, enhancing cooperation in trade, connectivity and security and supporting Bangladesh鈥檚 democratic and economic progress. The move signals a unified political will to strengthen bilateral ties amid shifting regional dynamics. And perhaps this is the time Delhi could turn the page in Dhaka and move on.
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Parliamentary panel meeting on Bangladesh
DURING a special meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of External Affairs in the Indian Parliament on June 27, members expressed strong support for a forward-looking and constructive policy toward Bangladesh. Lawmakers from across party lines emphasised the importance of repairing and advancing diplomatic ties with Dhaka, especially in light of evolving regional dynamics. 听The panel urged the Ministry of External Affairs to pursue initiatives that actively rebuild trust, address recent strains and support Bangladesh鈥檚 democratic and economic trajectory. The MPs from different parties on the committee also broadly agreed with it.
The committee, which includes representatives from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and other major political parties, underscored Bangladesh鈥檚 strategic relevance as a close neighbour and key partner in South Asia. Former national security adviser Shivshankar Menon, former High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das, Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain and Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Amitabh Mattoo contributed expertise during the session, which lasted over two hours. The discussion reportedly included expert briefings and policy recommendations, with a focus on long-term collaboration in infrastructure, energy, security and people-to-people ties. Members agreed that maintaining a positive relationship with Bangladesh is essential for regional stability, trade, connectivity and counter-terrorism cooperation.
Moreover, a prolonged stalemate between the neighbouring countries will ultimately not be good for either Delhi or Dhaka. Given this reality, India should gradually take steps to normalize relations with Bangladesh and, even if 鈥榝ull engagement鈥� is not possible at present, attempt to open new avenues of communication through 鈥榯rack-two鈥� or cultural diplomacy. It suggests the Indian state is preparing for a pivot from personality-centric diplomacy to policy-centric engagement. It also opens the door to cultural para-diplomacy, including proposals from MPs to use West Bengal as a soft bridge, leveraging shared language, Tagorean heritage and public cultural events to thaw tensions and re-humanise the relationship.
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Rebuilding relationship
BANGLADESH and India are connected in multiple ways, extending beyond just the bilateral relationship between their governments. They share an enduring bond through their common history, culture, land, trans-boundary rivers and adjacent maritime zones. As regional dynamics shift, both Bangladesh and India are recognising the need to renew and rebuild their bilateral relationship. Despite recent tensions over political transitions, border issues and trade imbalances, a growing consensus 鈥� both at the governmental and parliamentary levels 鈥� emerges that a stable, forward-looking partnership is in the mutual interest of both nations.
In doing so, India needs to recognize that the rules of engagement have changed. The old comfort of hotline diplomacy between prime ministers is gone. Delhi鈥檚 envoys are discovering they no longer have a single 鈥榥umber to dial,鈥� but must navigate a mosaic of actors: a caretaker cabinet, a vociferous opposition bloc led by the BNP and a military keen to prove its neutrality. Then, India should shift from personality-centric to institution-centric diplomacy, also known as Track II diplomacy. Hasina鈥檚 fall exposed Delhi鈥檚 overreliance on a single political relationship. The antidote is broadspectrum engagement:
Parliamentary caucuses: Invite cross-party Bangladeshi MPs to Delhi for issue-based workshops on water, energy and digital governance.
Civilsociety trackII: Fund joint climateadaptation studies through universities in Sylhet and Guwahati.
Militarytomilitary basics: Resume midlevel officer exchanges suspended since last year鈥檚 unrest to keep channels with the Bangladesh Armed Forces neutral and professional.
Moreover, Bangladesh is India鈥檚 largest SouthAsian trading partner, yet bilateral trade slipped from鈥�$15.9鈥痓illion in鈥疐Y鈥�202324 to $13.4鈥痓illion amid last year鈥檚 turmoil. Economically, trade recovery will require the swift removal of mutual restrictions and the revitalisation of connectivity through land ports, waterways and the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal corridor. A local currency trade settlement mechanism could also serve as a buffer against external financial shocks. Meanwhile, India must acknowledge Bangladesh鈥檚 right to pursue diverse international partnerships, even with China and Pakistan, while offering more transparent and sustainable alternatives. Competing with China should be rooted in options, not ultimatums.
Again, Cultural diplomacy and youth engagement hold particular promise. India can enhance its soft power by expanding scholarship opportunities, launching technology incubators and fostering joint artistic ventures. A proposed Bharat-Bangladesh Creative Futures Forum in Kolkata could exemplify this shift. Most importantly, India must adopt a strategic approach to patience. Rather than backing a single political faction, Delhi should support democratic processes and maintain open communication with all credible actors, regardless of ideology.
The turbulence in India-Bangladesh ties is not irreversible. Instead, it鈥檚 an opportunity to redefine the relationship, shifting from a top-down, big-brother approach to one rooted in mutual respect and people-first cooperation. Recent parliamentary discussions show that India鈥檚 leadership recognises the need for this pivot. If Delhi responds to Dhaka with humility and empathy, respecting Bangladesh鈥檚 sovereignty and embracing its evolving political reality, it can repair the rift and establish a deeper, more resilient partnership for the future. The year 2024 disrupted old patterns. 2025 must begin building a new framework. And that effort must start now.
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Dr Mohammad Asaduzzaman is a professor of linguistics at the University of Dhaka and director general of the International Mother Language Institute.
