Why Bangladesh elections are a big part of India’s neighborhood surveillance. india news

The scale of the elections – being held under the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus – is formidable in numbers alone. About 13 crore or 130 million Bangladeshis are registered to vote at about 43,000 polling stations across the country.

Let’s come back a little to the immediate context. First, why is India so keenly investing in the political situation in Bangladesh:

India-Bangladesh relations Its roots lie in the bloody partition of British India in 1947. The Muslim-majority eastern region of Bengal became East Pakistan, a geographical disparity separated from West Pakistan by more than 1,600 kilometers of Indian land in between.

This arrangement proved unstable – also because of language, as West Pakistan was dominated by Urdu/Punjabi while East Pakistan was dominated by Bengali.

Tensions had eased before tensions escalated in the 1950s and 1960s. After Awami League, Under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur RahmanWon the 1970 general election of Pakistan, the West Pakistani establishment refused to transfer power.

What happened next was brutal: a military operation.

Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi opted for intervention following the influx of approximately 10 million or 10 million refugees into the state of West Bengal. India’s military action in December 1971 was intense. Pakistani forces in Dhaka surrendered within two weeks.

Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation 16 December 1971. India became the first country to recognize the nascent state.

But tensions remained and tensions resurfaced in this relationship as Mujibur Rahman tried to consolidate power. He was assassinated along with most of his close family by some junior military officers in August 1975, leading to the first military coup in the country.

His daughter Sheikh Hasina was not in the country and later returned and became prime minister in a highly divided political system.

During a period of instability and political violence in the mid-1970s, Major General Ziaur Rahman rose from Chief of Army Staff to President in 1977 and later founded the Bangladesh National Party (BNP). He was also assassinated by a group of officers in another failed coup attempt in 1981.

With the return of democracy in the 1990s, his wife Khaleda Zia became a major political player. His son Tariq Rahman is now the BNP president.

Sheikh Hasina was eventually accused of dictatorial tendencies like her father and was removed from office in the 2024 protests. He is now in exile in India – self-exiled but protected in Delhi – and has been sentenced to death in Dhaka for alleged crimes against humanity.

Textbooks have been changed in Bangladesh Weaken Sheikh Mujib’s leadership And India’s role in the liberation of 1971.

Hasina’s Awami League Generally maintained close relations with New Delhi. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its sometime allies Jamaat-e-Islami Chose a different path, viewed with caution in Indian corridors of power due to his alleged pro-Pakistan leanings and Islamist views.

Sheikh Hasina’s tenure from 2009 to 2024 was a period of cooperation. 2015 land boundary agreement This was a major breakthrough after the 1974 agreement, which remained unfulfilled by India for decades. The 2015 agreement facilitated the transfer of 111 enclaves (17,160.63 acres) from India to Bangladesh, while India received 51 enclaves (7,110.02 acres) from Bangladesh.

Bilateral trade also expanded. India provided credit lines worth billions of rupees to Bangladesh and exported 500 MW of electricity per day. Hasina’s government cooperated with India in combating terrorism by cracking down on insurgent groups operating in the northeastern regions of Bangladesh. The partnership looked solid.

On August 5, 2024, Sheikh Hasina fled to India by military helicopter, with thousands of protesters besieging her residence. She still lives there. his father’s Statues were broken, And his legacy is being condemned as dictatorial even though he was once widely seen as the country’s founding father.

The International Criminal Tribunal for Bangladesh convicted Hasina in absentia in November for ordering the use of lethal force against protesters. Bangladesh has formally requested his extradition.

it extradition request, And India’s continuous refusal till now has also become an election issue in Bangladesh. Recently, after the death of Khaleda Zia, BNP led by her son is speaking about this as part of its election campaign.

India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh informed Parliament that “over 2,400 minority-related incidents have been recorded from August 5, 2024 to March 23, 2025”. He further said, “It is hoped that Bangladesh will thoroughly investigate these incidents and bring to justice all perpetrators of killings, arson and violence against minorities, without characterizing these killings or arson as politically motivated.”

27 year old Hindu textile artisan murdered Dipu Chandra Das Attracted international attention. Accused of blasphemy, he was beaten to death, his body was hanged from a tree and set on fire. “Nobody feels safe anymore. Everyone is scared,” Ranjan Karmaker, a Dhaka-based Hindu human rights activist, told the AP.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has suggested that Bangladesh is giving less importance”a troubling pattern of repeated attacks“On Hindus.

Bangladesh, in turn, has described India’s criticism as a “systematic attempt” to stoke anti-Bangladesh sentiments. Both sides temporarily suspended visa services.

Bangladesh also Cricket T20 World Cup boycotted The IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan, is being co-hosted by India after BJP leaders and right-wing Hindutva hardliners raised objections over the signing of a Bangladeshi Muslim player. Pakistan later joined the International Cricket Council (ICC) along with Bangladesh, which is led by Jai Shah, son of India’s Home Minister Amit Shah. Anyway, Pakistan is increasing its closeness with Bangladesh. Direct flights resumed recently And a possible defense deal.

With a mix of cricket, films and politics, it appears relations have reached a historic low.

under the leadership of BNP tariq rehmanHas emerged as a major contender. Rahman’s return to Bangladesh on December 25, 2025 after spending 17 years in London was dramatic. His mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, was ill and died a few days later.

He then took over the leadership of the party and is now seen as a possible next Prime Minister.

When BNP Unveiled its 51-point manifesto on 6 February, the principles cited were ‘Bangladesh Before All’. Rehman spoke in a cordial tone to the domestic audience: “The BNP believes not in revenge, but in the politics of justice and humanity. People’s rights, not power, are at the core of our politics. Production, not plunder; rights, not fear; fairness, not discrimination – these are the principles that will guide the governance of the state.”

Major India-related flashpoints in the manifesto include border firing, infiltration and pending cases. Teesta River Water-Sharing Agreement. Yet, it is also committed to building relations with neighboring countries “on the basis of equality, fairness, pragmatism and mutual interest,” the state news agency reports.

The Jamaat manifesto also promises to build “peaceful, friendly and cooperative relations with neighboring and surrounding countries”. It clearly names India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Thailand.

In particular, local media outlets such as The Daily Star The declaration pointed to “Pakistan’s glaring omissions”. The document states that “strengthening relations with the countries of the Muslim world will be a key foreign policy priority”.

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Jamaat is in an electoral alliance with the National Citizen Party, founded by student leaders of the 2024 rebellion, and the Liberal Democratic Party. In a historic first, the Jamaat is also fielding a Hindu candidate Krishna Nandy from Khulna.

The International Republican Institute’s December survey found that the race is tight. BNP received the support of 33 percent of the respondents. The Jamaat-led alliance got 29 percent votes. There is a possibility of an alliance after the elections.

He said, “expressed confidence that the vision and values ​​of Begum Khaleda Zia will guide the development of our partnership.”

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riyaz Hamidullah also spoke positively on this. He said Jaishankar “expressed optimism for strengthening Bangladesh-India relations following the democratic transition in Bangladesh through the upcoming elections”. “Bangladesh and India look forward to writing a new chapter in relations in shared interests driven by pragmatism and mutual dependence,” he said.

Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Prannoy Kumar Verma met Tariq Rehman in January, a day after he formally took charge of the BNP.

For years, India viewed the BNP – especially during its alliance with Jamaat between 2001 and 2006 – with deep suspicion.

However, political realities have forced both sides to reevaluate. These are two young nations that are also looking towards the future. The voters of Bangladesh are young. About 44% of registered voters are between 18 and 37 years of age.

Reports say voters are focused on three issues: restoring democratic rule, reviving the garment-export industry, and Resetting relations with India.