Are Bangladesh's youth turning against India?
Anti-India sentiment is rising among Bangladesh's youth, pushing bilateral ties to a new low
The deterioration followed the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 through a student-led uprising, after which she fled to India
In December 2025, the assassination of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi triggered massive anti-India protests when reports suggested the attacker fled to India
Both nations suspended regular visa services in December 2025, effectively cutting people-to-people ties
Bangladesh's February 2026 national elections were held with the Awami League barred from contesting, bringing more India-sceptical parties to the fore
India-Bangladesh Bilateral Relations: Historical Framework
India-Bangladesh relations have oscillated between deep cooperation and periodic strain, with India's role in the 1971 Liberation War forming the foundational bond, and subsequent political dynamics shaping the trajectory.
Key Details
- India played a decisive role in Bangladesh's liberation in 1971 — providing military support, hosting approximately 10 million refugees, and recognising Bangladesh as an independent state
- Land Boundary Agreement (LBA): Ratified in 2015, resolving a 41-year-old border dispute involving 162 enclaves
- The Ganges Water Treaty (1996): 30-year agreement for sharing Farakka Barrage waters — expired in 2026, with the Teesta water-sharing agreement still pending
- Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline: Inaugurated for diesel supply from India
- India-Bangladesh border: 4,096 km — India's longest land border with any country
- Under Sheikh Hasina's rule (2009-2024): India-Bangladesh relations were characterised as a "Golden Era" — transit agreements, connectivity projects, counterterrorism cooperation, and suppression of anti-India insurgent groups using Bangladeshi territory
- India extended three Lines of Credit totalling approximately $8 billion to Bangladesh
Hasina's ouster removed the political foundation of the "Golden Era," revealing that India's Bangladesh policy had become over-reliant on a single leader, leaving it vulnerable when political change occurred.
Water Disputes in South Asian Bilateral Relations
The pending Teesta water-sharing agreement is one of the most contentious issues in India-Bangladesh relations and has been a persistent source of Bangladeshi grievance against India.
Key Details
- Teesta River: Originates in Sikkim, flows through West Bengal and northern Bangladesh before joining the Brahmaputra (Jamuna) in Bangladesh
- The Teesta water-sharing agreement was ready for signing in 2011 but was blocked by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who objected to the proposed water-sharing formula
- Bangladesh claims it receives only about 25% of Teesta's dry-season flow due to India's Gajoldoba Barrage diversion
- Approximately 20 million people in northern Bangladesh depend on the Teesta for agriculture
- The Farakka Barrage on the Ganges (built 1975): A persistent irritant — Bangladesh alleges it diverts excessive water, causing downstream salinity intrusion and ecological damage
- India and Bangladesh share 54 transboundary rivers — only the Ganges has a formal water-sharing agreement
- The Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), established in 1972, is the bilateral mechanism for water issues but has met infrequently
Water disputes, particularly the unresolved Teesta issue, are frequently cited by Bangladesh's opposition and youth as evidence of India's unfair treatment — the new government may leverage public sentiment to press harder for a Teesta agreement.
Neighbourhood First Policy and Its Challenges
India's "Neighbourhood First" policy, articulated since 2014, prioritises engagement with immediate neighbours. Bangladesh has been a centrepiece of this policy, but recent events expose its structural limitations.
Key Details
- "Neighbourhood First" covers: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Maldives, Afghanistan, and Pakistan
- Key instruments: Lines of Credit, infrastructure projects (BBIN corridor, India-Bangladesh rail links, grid connectivity), humanitarian assistance, capacity building
- India's approach has been criticised for: Over-reliance on incumbent leaders rather than building broad-based relationships across political spectrums
- Similar challenges have arisen in: Maldives (Muizzu's "India Out" campaign in 2024), Nepal (periodic anti-India sentiment tied to border blockade memories of 2015), Sri Lanka (debt-trap concerns and China competition)
- India's development assistance to Bangladesh: Three LoCs totalling ~$8 billion (largest single-country allocation)
- Connectivity projects: Agartala-Akhaura rail link (opened 2023), Maitree Express, Bandhan Express, Mitali Express
- India's "development-first diplomacy" model is being challenged by China's BRI investments in the neighbourhood — Bangladesh is a BRI partner with Chinese-funded infrastructure projects including the Padma Bridge rail link and Payra port
The Bangladesh crisis exposes a structural weakness in India's Neighbourhood First policy — when a friendly government falls, India's investments and relationships can quickly erode if they were personalised rather than institutionalised across political parties and civil society.
- India-Bangladesh border: 4,096 km (India's longest land border with any country)
- Hasina ouster: August 5, 2024, following student-led uprising
- Visa suspension: Both countries suspended regular visa services in December 2025
- India's LoCs to Bangladesh: ~$8 billion across three tranches
- Transboundary rivers shared: 54 rivers (only Ganges has a formal treaty)
- Ganges Water Treaty: Signed 1996, 30-year duration
- Teesta agreement: Pending since 2011; blocked by West Bengal government
- Land Boundary Agreement: Ratified 2015, resolved 162 enclaves
- Bangladesh elections: February 12, 2026, with Awami League barred from contesting
- December 2025 crisis trigger: Assassination of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi