BBC Report: A New Chapter in Bangladesh–India Relations, India Urged to Initiate Dialogue

Strained Yet Interdependent

Since the political turbulence of 2024, relations between the two neighbors have grown more complicated. Border incidents, water-sharing disputes, trade barriers, and political rhetoric have revived longstanding grievances. Visa restrictions, reduced land connectivity, and fewer direct flights further illustrate the cooling relationship.

Commentary from certain political and media circles in India has also contributed to perceptions in Dhaka that Bangladesh is not always treated as an equal sovereign partner.

Yet structural realities bind the two countries closely. Sharing a 4,096-kilometer border, deep security cooperation, cultural ties, and strong trade interdependence, neither side can sustain prolonged estrangement. Bangladesh remains India’s largest trading partner in South Asia, while India is one of Bangladesh’s major export destinations in Asia.

Who Should Take the First Step?

Experts argue that as the larger neighbor, India should assume greater responsibility in initiating engagement.

Professor Sreeradha Datta of O. P. Jindal Global University stresses the need for proactive dialogue and cooperation with the new government in Dhaka.

Meanwhile, Professor Avinash Paliwal of SOAS University of London observes that past relations between India and the BNP were often marked by mistrust. However, he notes that the current geopolitical climate reflects a pragmatic willingness on both sides to move forward. The emerging “new normal,” he suggests, will depend on whether both Dhaka and New Delhi can exercise restraint and strategic foresight in managing their differences.