India–Bangladesh relations entered a new phase following the BNP’s electoral victory under Tarique Rahman. New Delhi initially welcomed the transition, signalling pragmatism and optimism for renewed ties. Early gestures included high-level visits, resumed visa services, and dialogue on extradition matters. However, border security disputes, Dhaka’s tilt towards Beijing, and the sensitive Sheikh Hasina issue complicated progress. The August controversy over Hasina’s virtual address from Indian soil sharpened tensions, with Dhaka questioning India’s stance. While both sides emphasised dialogue and mutual respect, Rahman’s anticipated Delhi visit remained uncertain, conditional on a “conducive environment.” Despite challenges, both governments continue to keep channels open, balancing sovereignty concerns with aspirations for constructive, forward-looking engagement.
When India’s external affairs minister Dr. Jaishankar visited Dhaka last December to attend Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia’s funeral, many called the diplomatic move as a pragmatism one to reset ties with Dhaka when it was considered as being at a historic low. Two months later, BNP won a landslide electoral victory in Bangladesh’s 13th national election, ushering a new face of leadership under Tarique Rahman who launched his electoral campaign under the slogan “Na Dilli, Na Pindi, Shobar Aagey Bangladesh” [Not Delhi, Not Rawalpindi, Bangladesh comes first]. For New Delhi, this democratically elected political transition brought an opportunity to improve bilateral relations. However, the past experience of India-Bangladesh ties under BNP leadership left a lingering discomfort of uncertainty.
A fresh start
New Delhi left no stones unturned to show its willingness to bring into effect a cordial engagement with Bangladesh’s new elected government. India’s Lok Sabha Speaker attended the oath ceremony of Tarique Rahman and even sent PM Modi’s congratulatory message to Rahman, inviting him for a bilateral visit to Delhi. Shortly before the national election, the BNP, too, softened its rhetorics against India. In his first post-victory press conference, Tarique Rahman expressed to pursue ‘Bangladesh First’ foreign policy. Foreign minister Khalilur Rahman described independence, sovereignty, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, mutual benefit and national dignity as its guiding principles. For long, BNP called Sheikh Hasina’s foreign policy as making Bangladesh subservient to India, also blamed New Delhi for putting “all its eggs in one basket” (with Hasina), that proved to be a “massive blunder” for India-Bangladesh relations following the July 2024 Uprising. ‘Bangladesh First’ doctrine, therefore, is a careful foreign policy recalibration.
BNP’s own politics, too, changed since its last tenure, signalling a rather political maturity which is being reflected under Rahman’s leadership. Dhaka reciprocated New Delhi’s pragmatism with optimism when Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman visited India in April, what Dhaka called a ‘goodwill visit’ to develop a ‘new relationship’ distinct from Hasina’s tenure. While contentious issues like border security and water sharing remained unaddressed in this visit, both countries agreed to strengthen bilateral ties and maintain close contact and address urgent bilateral issues. India also agreed to consider Dhaka’s request for extradition of suspected killers of Islamic Mancha convenor Osman Hadi as per extradition treaty. The request for Hasina’s extradition, on the other hand, is said to be under a review process.
India also appointed veteran politician Dinesh Trivedi Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh in April, signalling New Delhi’s political reset beyond routine diplomacy towards a neighbour with whom ties had been frosty after the July revolution and ouster of the Hasina government. Following his appointment, Trivedi expressed his optimism about shared development through constructive dialogue between two strong democracies. He also said that through shared goals can both become regional powers. Bilateral ties seemed to be somewhat thawed with both countries resuming visa services after two years of suspension.
The first hurdle
Border security issues reappeared in May, becoming the first major point of contention under Tarique government, when Bangladesh accused India of new wave of border ‘push-ins’ especially since West Bengal election that brought BJP government to power for the first time. While Dhaka alleged New Delhi of not following due process in repatriation of illegal migrants, New Delhi claimed to take actions in accordance with domestic law and established bilateral mechanisms, requesting Dhaka to verify the pending nationality cases of 2,862 illegal migrants Delhi provided. In the 57th Director General Level Border conference (8-11 June), BGB-BSF talks ended without a joint statement, indicating that border security issues remained unresolved, although there was a consensus reached on continuing patrols on border, sharing intelligence and addressing migrant tensions. BGB called the talks “cordial, positive and forward looking.”
Tarique Rahman’s first official China visit the same month in June, shorlt after the BGB-BSF talks, saw the Chinese nodding to support Bangladesh’s Teesta River Management and Restoration Project, along with modernisation of Chattogram and Mongla ports, all that New Delhi had expressed interests in earlier, as it is closer to the India border and hence, bears strategic security implication for India. The same month, Humayun Kobir, then prime minister’s foreign advisor (present State Minister of Foreign Affairs) said that Bangladesh PM will visit India ‘when necessary and if a conducive environment exists’, that all foreign visits will strictly be based on the country’s national interest.
In July, Indian PM had sent an invitation to Tarique Rahman to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi as a special guest. The invite was sent to him in his capacity as Chair of BIMSTEC, not as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister. Indian High Commissioner Trivedi stated that all bilateral issues can be resolved through mutual understanding and that India awaits Rahman’s visit. Bangladesh foreign minister said that it was reviewing India’s invitation. Around the same time, Sheikh Hasina, in a written interview to a Japanese news outlet, expressed her plans to return to Bangladesh in December, fuelling a fresh round of political debate within Bangladesh, while Dhaka maintained that ‘India’s goodwill is needed to bring back Hasina’.
A tumultuous turn
Just before Sheikh Hasina’s virtual address on 5 August, on the second anniversary of the July Uprising and her ouster, Bangladesh sought New Delhi’s cooperation to ensure that Hasina, or any other members of Awami League, would not be allowed to use Indian territory to make any political statements, warning that such activities would be deemed as undermining positive progress in bilateral relations. Dhaka also sought New Delhi’s stance on Hasina’s virtual event, reiterating that Bangladesh wants to maintain a ‘forward-looking relationship’ with its neighbour.
Sheikh Hasina’s virtual address triggered sharp response from Dhaka. Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release called Hasina’s remarks from India’s soil an ‘affront to Bangladesh’s sovereignty’, that constituted ‘great insult to martyrs of July Uprising’. It further stated that Bangladesh sought to maintain a “constructive, mutually beneficial and forward-looking relations with India based on sovereignty, mutual respect, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.” New Delhi’s response of having ‘no involvement’ in Hasina’s address, and non-endorsement of Hasina’s views expressed in the forum organised by a private foreign media entity in New Delhi, did not have any positive bearing on Dhaka’s views about New Delhi. Dhaka not only maintained that New Delhi must rethink its pledge for friendly ties but also added that India must ‘decide what kind of relationship it wants with Bangladesh’.
Following this, Tarique Rahman ignored the invite and decide not to send any Bangladeshi government representative to attend the BRICS summit hosted by India on 12-13 September 2026. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir explicitly ruled out sending a representative. Indian envoy Trivedi called on Rahman where the latter stressed the need for ‘suitable environment to further bilateral relations’ and key issues such as Hasina’s extradition and return of Osman Hadi’s killer were discussed. Trivedi, a day after meeting Bangladesh PM, flew to New Delhi to meet Indian PM Modi to convey Bangladesh’s message. Meanwhile, Bangladesh home minister called for a ‘fresh start’ in bilateral relations through mutual cooperation and dialogue based on equality and both countries signalled a desire to mend ties. Preparations seemed to have gained pace for Tarique Rahman’s bilateral visit to Delhi, although no official announcements has so far been made by either country. Meanwhile, BNP’s political opposition posed conditionalities on Tarique government that Tarique Rahman’s visit to Delhi should not take place unless New Delhi extradites Hasina, further blaming Dhaka for being ‘too accommodating’ towards Delhi, that Bangladesh people will no longer accept anyone’s (read India’s) ‘hegemony’.
Towards calm waters?
Tarique Rahman’s Delhi visit, Dhaka maintains, need not be rushed and that it could take only when an appropriate environment is created. It also being said in India that India needs to recognise Bangladesh’s present reality. Meanwhile, Bangladesh expressed that it could consider joining Makkah Pact ‘if invited’, the trilateral military deterrence pact signed between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, what Dhaka calls to be an ‘internal matter of Muslim family with nothing for others to be concerned about’. New Delhi, on the other hand, is continuing “to closely follow developments that are happening in West Asia”.
While Rahman’s India visit remained uncertain, on 30 August, Delhi denied permission for an international seminar that involved Awami League leaders, citing ‘certain controversies’, a move Dhaka welcomed as a ‘positive step’ in bilateral relations. While no official date for a visit has been set so far, Dhaka assured of Rahman’s visit to Delhi when ‘appropriate time and environment emerged’. State Minister of Foreign Affairs Kobir stressed that despite challenges, the door for dialogue and discussion (with Delhi) will always remain open. Newly appointed President Mirza Fakhrul (former LGRD Minister), too, in his meeting with Indian envoy Trivedi, called for a dialogue-based resolution on outstanding issues with India, reiterating the interest in building a dignified, forward-looking, mutually respectful and beneficial partnership with India’. Trivedi reciprocated, promising to take positive measures and restating India’s commitment to broaden cooperation with Bangladesh, which he described as India’s closest neighbour and a major trade and development partner, a country of considerable importance to New Delhi. Even if Tarique Rahman skipped 18th BRICS Summit, Kobir’s latest press briefing expressed Dhaka’s interest in Rahman’s bilateral visit to India as a step to ‘reset ties’, to” ‘move beyond the nature of ties maintained over the past 15 years.”
Conclusion
India has certainly wished for a reset in bilateral relations with Bangladesh, moving beyond the stalemate during Bangladesh’s interim government. What seemed like de-hyphenating Hasina factor in recalibrating relations soon after the formation of Tarique government is no longer visible. India might have tested waters with Bangladesh with respect to Hasina issue, whose extradition is now being examined and whose stay is based on Delhi’s humanitarian tradition of giving refuge to individuals facing crisis of existential threat. However, 5 August 2026 event in New Delhi invoked a sharp response from Dhaka and it was stated that the Bangladeshi prime minister’s first visit to Delhi must be in an environment that Dhaka deems propitious, and it must be a visit focussed on improvement in bilateral ties. Bangladesh, by leaning towards Beijing in securing strategic agreements, which are read by many in New Delhi with concern, will have to invest its diplomatic energy in creating an atmosphere of trust and goodwill to take the relations forward. While it is too early to tell if Dhaka’s interest in Makkah Pact will add fresh security concern for Delhi, India, nonetheless, is keeping its eyes open. Nevertheless, it is comforting to see both Delhi and Dhaka keeping the channels open for dialogue and demonstrating their willingness to take positive steps towards establishing a relationship of trust, mutual respect and goodwill. This does not mean that contentious issues would be sidelined. The coming months will show what Delhi and Dhaka treat as their priority areas, which will also define the pace of their bilateral engagements.
India–Bangladesh relations under Tarique Rahman’s BNP government reflect both promise and fragility. Initial goodwill gestures suggested a reset, yet border disputes, Dhaka’s engagement with Beijing, and the unresolved Hasina question exposed enduring sensitivities on both sides. India’s attempt to de-hyphenate its ties from Hasina has not succeeded, especially after her virtual address, which has, as we see, reignited mistrust. Dhaka insists on sovereignty, dignity, and a “Bangladesh First” approach, while New Delhi seeks stability and cooperation. The trajectory of bilateral ties now hinges on whether both sides can reconcile contentious issues through dialogue, recognising each other’s political realities. Ultimately, the relationship remains poised between cautious optimism and unresolved tensions, with the pace of engagement determined by mutual trust and pragmatic compromise.
*Dr Ankita Sanyal is working as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Peace Studies (CPS) in New Delhi. The views expressed are her own.
Comments