Why Is Bangladesh So Vexed With India And Could The Strained Relations Lead To A Fertile Ground For Pakistan Sponsored Extremism?

The diplomatic dance between India and Bangladesh, once a harmonious waltz under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, now seems more like a contentious tug-of-war. With former Prime Minister Hasina ousted and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus leading an interim government in Dhaka, ties between the two neighbors have taken a sharp and unsettling turn.

The upcoming December 9 meeting in Dhaka between the foreign secretaries of both nations could determine whether they manage to step back from the brink of an engineered chaos.

A Friendship Built on Shared Interests

Under Hasina, Bangladesh and India enjoyed a strategic partnership rooted in mutual interests. From countering China’s growing influence in South Asia to significant Indian investments in Bangladesh’s infrastructure—$8 billion worth of development loans, to be exact—the ties ran deep.

India also became Bangladesh’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade soaring to $14 billion. Beyond the economy, security collaboration kept radical elements in check, making the relationship more than transactional—it was seen as a critical alliance.

The Unraveling Begins

However, Hasina’s departure has upended this delicate balance. Her self-exile in India and allegations by the Yunus-led interim government that she is still meddling in Bangladeshi politics have set a confrontational tone. Bangladesh’s accusations against India for harboring Hasina only add fuel to the fire.

This isn’t the only fracture. Communal violence targeting minorities in Bangladesh, particularly Hindus, has aggravated tensions. India accuses Dhaka of turning a blind eye to the atrocities, and Yunus’s government has done little to address these concerns. It’s a sore spot that goes beyond diplomatic wrangling, touching the core of regional stability.

Viral Videos and Anti-India Sentiment

As if the political strain wasn’t enough, a series of viral videos featuring retired Bangladeshi army personnel spewing anti-India rhetoric has taken the hostility to a whole new level. Bold claims of capturing Indian territories like Kolkata and Assam in mere days have stirred public anxiety and indicating a disturbing shift in sentiment within sections of Bangladeshi society.

Though these statements are from individuals and not the official stance of Dhaka, they paint a worrying picture of the changing perceptions about India. For a country that once looked to India as a key ally, this shift in tone is troubling.

Bangladesh Scraps Bandwidth Transit Agreement, Cases Filed Against Hindu Protesters

The already fraying ties between India and Bangladesh, in a surprising move, Bangladesh’s interim government has reportedly canceled the “bandwidth transit” agreement that was set to enhance mobile internet connectivity in India’s northeastern states.
This decision marks yet another step in the growing anti-India rhetoric emerging from Dhaka, outlining the deepening mistrust between the two nations.

The plan, initiated last year, envisioned routing high-speed bandwidth from Singapore through Bangladesh to India’s northeast via the Akhaura border. The collaboration, involving Bangladeshi companies Summit Communications and Fiber@Home, and Indian telecom giant Bharti Airtel, promised to improve digital connectivity in one of India’s most underserved regions.

However, citing concerns over Bangladesh’s regional ambitions, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) ordered the deal’s cancellation on December 1. Officially, the BTRC claimed the agreement offered no economic benefit to Bangladesh while significantly boosting India’s digital infrastructure.

But the timing and context suggest this is more than just an economic decision. As bilateral tensions escalate, Dhaka appears to be leveraging its strategic position in the region as a bargaining chip—or perhaps as a signal of its growing discontent with Delhi.

A New Chapter in Bilateral Tensions

The scrapping of the agreement is just the latest in a series of actions highlighting Dhaka’s hardening stance. From accusations of Indian interference to the arrest of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges, Bangladesh seems determined to distance itself from India.

The arrest of Das on November 25 at Dhaka airport sparked outrage among Hindu communities, both in Bangladesh and across the border. Tensions escalated further when clashes between police and Das’s followers in Chittagong on December 8 led to a police case against the monk and hundreds of his supporters.

According to local media, the case accuses Das and others of inciting unrest, with over 160 individuals named and an additional 400-500 unidentified. These incidents, paired with the communal violence already troubling Bangladesh, have put an added strain on India-Bangladesh relations, as New Delhi views these events as part of a broader trend of neglect towards its concerns about minority safety.

Bangladeshi Media…

Anti-India sentiment appears to be rising not only on the streets of Bangladesh but also in its media, influenced by political and societal dynamics.

Bangladesh’s interim government’s recent cancellation of the “bandwidth transit” agreement for India’s northeastern states adds to the tensions, with Bangladeshi authorities citing limited economic advantages and growing bilateral strains as reasons for the move.
Some sources suggest this decision is rooted in political rather than economic considerations.

Outlets such as The Daily Star and Dhaka Tribune have reported critically on incidents involving India, often framing them as part of a broader story of exploitation or interference.

For example, recent coverage of protests by Hindu groups in Bangladesh and the arrests of leaders like Chinmoy Krishna Das also outliner underlying tensions, with both communal and political undertones being debated across various platforms.

Interestingly, Indian media has been accused of amplifying these narratives. Sensationalized reporting, particularly around issues like attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, has been criticized for misrepresenting facts.

For example, certain Indian outlets have been accused of portraying political violence as religious persecution, which some analysts argue fuels anti-India perceptions in Bangladesh. This trend of misinformation—both deliberate and incidental—has strained relations further and shaped public opinion negatively in both countries.

Bangladesh’s younger generation, which is particularly critical of India’s perceived meddling in its politics, seems to be embracing these narratives more strongly. Many young Bangladeshis see India as prioritizing its regional dominance over fostering equitable bilateral relations.

The deterioration of India-Bangladesh relations carries significant risks, particularly when viewed through the lens of regional security and terrorism. Historically, strained ties between South Asian nations have often provided fertile ground for extremist groups to exploit political and social instability.

In this context, worsening relations with Bangladesh may open pathways for such threats to resurface or intensify, particularly if anti-India sentiment grows unchecked.

The Pakistan Factor

Pakistan, long considered a rival of India, has a history of leveraging strained Indo-Bangladeshi relations to its advantage. During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, Pakistan faced significant setbacks due to India’s support for the Mukti Bahini. This historical animosity has fueled Islamabad’s interest in undermining India’s influence in Dhaka.

If the current interim government in Bangladesh aligns itself more closely with Pakistan, it could result in greater collaboration on military or intelligence fronts that India perceives as threatening.

Moreover, Pakistan-based extremist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed have been known to exploit regional instability for recruitment and operations. A less cooperative Bangladesh could weaken intelligence-sharing efforts that are critical for counterterrorism, enabling such groups to find operational freedom in South Asia.

Extremist elements could manipulate this sentiment to recruit disaffected youth or spread radical ideologies, especially in regions already struggling with communal tensions. For instance, the marginalization of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and the portrayal of India as a hegemonic power could serve as powerful propaganda tools for radical groups.

In 2021, Bangladeshi authorities arrested several individuals linked to Ansar al-Islam, a group associated with Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), who were allegedly planning attacks in India. Such incidents underline the ever-present risk of extremist spillover, which could intensify if bilateral relations continue to sour.

A cooperative Pakistan-Bangladesh axis could heighten India’s security challenges, particularly in the sensitive northeastern states, where insurgent movements have historically received support from external actors.

The Last Bit

The Yunus government’s approach, particularly its actions against Hindu protesters and its abrupt cancellation of agreements, seems to be shaped as much by political calculations as by practical considerations. India, struggling with its own challenges in the northeast (Manipur)  and a more hostile Dhaka only adds more fuel to fire.

Whether these actions are a temporary reflection of transitional politics in Bangladesh or signal a longer-term shift in its foreign policy remains to be seen. Either way, the growing mistrust is an alarming sign for the future of India-Bangladesh relations—a partnership once viewed as a cornerstone of regional stability in South Asia.

Can these strained ties be mended, or are they headed for a prolonged period of mutual suspicion and missed opportunities?

India wields significant leverage over Bangladesh—economically, geopolitically, and even socially. Any move by Delhi to impose punitive measures, such as the kind seen during the Nepal blockade in 2015, could devastate Bangladesh’s fragile economy.

For Yunus, walking this tightrope is critical; alienating India too much could isolate Dhaka globally, while bending too much to Delhi’s demands could weaken his standing domestically.

For India, Bangladesh is a vital piece in South Asia’s geopolitical puzzle, especially in countering Both Pakistan and China. A hostile Dhaka could shift alliances and destabilize the region further.