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Myanmar's unsettled scores on the border front once again took an ugly turn when its border guards police exchanged crossfire with its Bangladesh counterpart for three days from 28 May. A Bangladesh border guard personnel was said to be killed.

Lieutenant General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan's appointment as the new Chief of Bangladesh Army on June 25 has evoked a keen interest in India and elsewhere. There are two reasons for this interest in an other-wise routine succession--General Bhuiyan succeeded General Abdul Mobeen on his retirement.

Bangladesh's stake in the Bay of Bengal has increased following the order of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas (ITLOS) in the dispute regarding delimitation of the maritime boundary with Myanmar.

India's interest lies in ratifying the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh because this would not only boost the image of the country but also establish India's reliability in delivering promises. Political parties need to rise above their narrow and short-term political interests and see the larger picture.

Interest of the people should take precedence in foreign policy formulations which have a direct impact on their lives. This was the overwhelming sentiment expressed by the people living on either side of the India-Bangladesh border during a field visit early May this year.

Experts at the event opined that it is a win-win situation for India and Bangladesh to have a functional river, rail and road network.

Sohini Bose, Ed., “Priorities for Prime Minister Hasina's New Term in Bangladesh,” ORF Special Report No. 225, May 2024, Observer Research Foundation.

The government has been successful in maintaining harmony with the military and preventing it from reacting violently in the aftermath of Bangladesh Rifle's mutiny.

The June 5 hartal, or shut down, brought back fears of the return of hartal politics which had been a bane of Bangladesh politics in the recent. Such shut downs often followed or preceded bouts of violence across the country, bringing the economy, and every thing else, to a grinding halt.

In many ways, Bangladesh seems an excellent place for al-Qaeda to find sanctuary in the decisive years ahead. It is an impoverished Islamic nation, politically weak and backward in its economic development. Its ports have been active hubs for transnational crime, including weapons running.

Recently, the Dhaka High Court declared Bangladesh as a secular nation. The verdict brought respite to the feeling of guilt among the people for denouncing secularism from the Constitution, one of the core values for which they had fought for during the liberation struggle of 1971.

Allegations against Hasina’s government include authoritarian governance, hounding of the opposition and rampant corruption. These issues and the India factor will dominate the electoral campaign.

The Shahbagh protests could become a defining moment in Bangladesh's history, bringing back secularism in to the midst of political debate in the country.

India-Bangladesh ties have entered an era of consolidation and expansion. Trade figures have gone up to $7 billion, though the adverse trade balance remains an issue.

By the standards of electoral practices in South Asia, incidents of violence in Bangladesh’s elections cannot be viewed as excessive. The allegations of malpractices cannot be dismissed outright since no election in Bangladesh has been free from these aberrations and violence.

India’s ties with Bangladesh have not been smooth and faced turbulence despite India supporting Bangladesh in its liberation.

The swapping of land between India and Bangladesh will bring clarity to the border, which will eventually lead to improved border management. This will also help in controlling illegal migration, and reduce scepticism in Bangladesh, leading to a sense of optimism all around.

The border between India and Bangladesh—highly crucial to their bilateral relationship—has always been difficult to manage given, for one, its sheer length. The most important bilateral initiative between Bangladesh and India may yet be the attempt to resolve the longstanding border dispute that arose after the Partition of 1947, by means of the 2015 Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) and the exchange of enclaves (chhitmahals) and adverse possessi

Little is known and even less understood about the 2,00,000-strong Bangladesh Army's corporate interests. The importance of the subject owes itself to the fact that the army has been a veritable power of stability in a country that has been dogged by decades of unending political turmoil. The fact that the Army had to step in to keep the country from slipping into a political abyss in 2006 underlines the criticality of its role in providing stabi

Bangladesh has witnessed a resurgence in terror activities since 2013, indicating regrouping of the Neo-Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh.

The hunt for the rest of the killers of Bangabandhu will continue. India must give Sheikh Hasina unstinted support in this endeavour

The mass exodus of the Rohingyas from Myanmar to Bangladesh in 2017 has caused ramifications in the two countries’ bilateral relations. The underlying currents between the two nations have become more apparent following two failed repatriation efforts since the exodus. The public display of dissatisfaction and blame-game have only fuelled the tensions. This brief examines how far the Rohingya issue has affected the connectivity, trade and secur

The Government of India is reported to have advised a short postponement of the departure of the Indian cricket team to Bangladesh to play in some matches against the Bangladesh team at Dhaka and Chittagong following the receipt at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka of a fax message purported to have been signed by an organisation called Harkat-ul-Jihad warning of dire consequences if the team went ahead with the visit.

Among India's neighbours, Bangladesh occupies a special position not only because of India's role in its liberation but because geographically, too, it surrounds Bangladesh from three sides. The beginning of close economic relations between the two countries can be traced back to 1971. After its independence, Bangladesh's requirements of consumer goods, especially food, came from India. Over the years, the country has sought easier access to Indi

India?s improved relations with Bangladesh have brought new opportunities for economic development in the North East region. To maximise the benefits, there is need for identifying the factors and the issues that might hinder the growth of economic ties.

On September 19, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed received a UN award for the country's extraordinary performance in reducing child mortality rate, a millennium developmental goal (MDG).

India-Bangladesh relations face a challenging period following Sheikh Hasina's ouster. Anti-India rhetoric, violence against minorities, and the arrest of a Hindu monk have strained ties. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's visit aimed to refocus on economic cooperation and address concerns. The interim government must reciprocate to rebuild the partnership crucial for South Asia's future.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni recently declared that no US army base will be allowed in the country. Her assertion came after doubts were expressed about presence of US forces in Bangladesh.

There is a need for better coordination and cooperation among the armed forces of the two neighbouring countries...

The non-signing of the Teesta agreement has become a point of embarrassment for her government. The treaty was supposed to be signed during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Bangladesh in 2011 but it was suspended at the last minute due to objection by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Muhammad Yunus aims to position Bangladesh as China's gateway to South Asia by emphasizing its strategic role. This shift in foreign policy may strain Bangladesh's relations with India, especially with issues like the persecution of Hindu minorities and Hasina's extradition request, while strengthening ties with Beijing.

In Bangladesh, the municipal elections held last month (January 2011) provided an opportunity to assess the trends in the country's politics. The results showed that the ruling Awami League is on a declining graph as far as its popularity is concerned.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was formed to foster socio-economic cooperation between its seven member nations – India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The group signed a free trade agreement (FTA) in 2004, but the pact is still not operational due to the lack of consensus on certain key issues. Some members like India are keen to finalise the terms of t

India must persist as future of South Asia is embedded in a firm Delhi-Dhaka engagement.

This brief seeks to apply ancient Indian strategic thought to the country’s approach towards its immediate neighbourhood. Employing a Kautilyan perspective on India’s allies within the broader framework of foreign policy end goals, it proposes a non-zero-sum view towards four of its neighbours: Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The brief classifies these neighbours based on the attitudes they exhibit and presents a nuanced approach tow

The intent of BIMSTEC member states to push forth with a bold vision for the region was evident at the 2nd Foreign Ministers’ Retreat