New Delhi: 

In a significant shift of diplomatic tone, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has called for equal and respectful relations with neighbouring India – a message that signals both a recalibration of its foreign policy priorities and a bid to reframe its image domestically.

Senior BNP leaders have expressed their desire for a partnership based on equality and mutual respect, moving away from what they perceive as India’s historical preference for the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League.

“India is our friend,” the Dhaka Tribune quoted Barrister Rumeen Farhana, BNP’s assistant secretary for international affairs, as saying. “We want to maintain a positive relationship with them. But this relationship should be based on equality and mutual respect. However, India has, in the past, placed its relationship on a scale, meaning it was primarily with the Awami League. They need to move away from that.”

“I think after taking anti-India policies in the past, the BNP has learnt that a lesson,” he said.

Tapan further said that though the BNP and the Awami League do not align in their ties with India, the former has now realised that it has to follow the same diplomatic policy.

An Indian expert on the politics and economy of Bangladesh, however, holds a different perspective on the BNP’s latest comments about ties with India.

“The interim government has no plan to organise parliamentary elections soon,” the expert told ETV Bharat on the condition of anonymity. “Though Yunus has said that elections will be held by December this year, it is unlikely.”

The expert is of the view that Yunus wants political parties to take an anti-India stand ahead of any elections.

“So, I see the BNP statement as neutral,” the expert said. “After all, the BNP is the only party eligible to stand for elections as of now. My take is that Yunus is in no mood to hold elections soon.”

To sum up, India-Bangladesh relations are at a critical juncture. The leadership transition in Dhaka and the absence of institutional trust have exposed the fragility of a relationship previously built around personal rapport rather than structural resilience. The Modi–Yunus meeting, while diplomatically necessary, has done little to address India’s core concerns or rebuild confidence.

It is in the wake of all these developments that the BNP’s call for “equal and respectful relations” with India assumes significance.

When the BNP was in power, primarily during 1991–1996 and 2001–2006, India-Bangladesh relations were marked by a mix of diplomatic engagement and underlying tensions.

Khaleda Zia’s first term as Prime Minister between 1991 and 1996 saw a cautious approach between the two sides. While both sides maintained formal diplomatic ties, key irritants included cross-border insurgencies, water-sharing issues (especially over the Ganga), and trade imbalances. India was concerned about the alleged support given by elements within Bangladesh to anti-India insurgent groups in the Northeast. The 1996 Ganga Water Treaty, though signed under the Awami League, was influenced by prior negotiations during the BNP’s tenure.

During Khaleda Zia’s second term, tensions worsened. India expressed strong concerns about the presence of militant outfits operating from Bangladesh and increasing infiltration across the border. The BNP-led government was also criticised for harbouring a perceived anti-India posture, fostering a strategic tilt toward China and Islamic countries. Connectivity, trade expansion, and regional cooperation stalled during this time.

Overall, while diplomatic channels remained open, India-BNP relations were shaped by deep mistrust, security anxieties, and divergent geopolitical visions.

Now, the BNP’s appeal for an “equal and respectful” relationship with India may seem routine on the surface, but for a party long associated with suspicion toward New Delhi, the shift is significant. It suggests a growing recognition within the BNP that past antagonism may no longer serve its political or strategic interests – and that recalibrating its India stance is key to reclaiming credibility both at home and abroad.

Meanwhile, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh has ordered the extradition of Hasina and many of her associates who fled the country after the upheaval in August.

The ouster of Hasina also saw the rise of extremist Islamist elements in Bangladesh’s political landscape, leading to large-scale violence against religious minorities, particularly Hindus. India has been continuously voicing its concerns over these developments.

The latest incident is of the killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh, earlier this week. Roy was the vice-president of the Biral unit of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad. He was also a hugely respected figure within the Hindu community in India’s eastern neighbour.

“This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on his official X handle. “We condemn this incident and once again remind the interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions.”

However, Dhaka has refuted India’s allegation with Yunus’s press secretary describing this as a “baseless claim”.

“India is our friend,” the Dhaka Tribune quoted Barrister Rumeen Farhana, BNP’s assistant secretary for international affairs, as saying. “We want to maintain a positive relationship with them. But this relationship should be based on equality and mutual respect. However, India has, in the past, placed its relationship on a scale, meaning it was primarily with the Awami League. They need to move away from that.”

As regional dynamics evolve and India remains an influential player in South Asian geopolitics, the BNP’s latest stance is more than just rhetoric. It reveals deeper calculations about power, sovereignty, and national identity.

According to the Dhaka Tribune report, Asif Siraj Rabbani, a member of the Bogra district unit of the BNP, echoed similar sentiments, advocating for strong ties with India while protecting national interests.

“Not just with India – we should maintain good relations with all countries,” Rabbani said. “However, these relationships must be built in a way that protects our national interests.”

The BNP’s comments on ties with India come amidst the chaos that Bangladesh has descended into following the ouster of Prime Minister Hasina in August last year in the face of a mass uprising and the interim government headed by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus assuming power.

This transition, while aiming to restore stability and democratic order, has been accompanied by considerable challenges and unrest. The catalyst for change was a student-led movement protesting against public sector job quotas, which they perceived as discriminatory.

This movement, known as Students Against Discrimination (SAD), rapidly gained nationwide support, evolving into a broader call for governmental reform.

The protests intensified in July 2024, leading to violent clashes that resulted in over 1,000 deaths. Facing mounting pressure, Hasina resigned on August 5, 2024, and sought refuge in India.

With Hasina taking refuge in India, relations between the two South Asian neighbours have since been tense despite a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yunus on the sidelines of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit in Bangkok earlier this month.

As weeks have passed since that diplomatic handshake, it has become increasingly clear that the engagement was largely symbolic, offering little to reverse the downward trajectory of India-Bangladesh relations.

Earlier this month, India withdrew the trans-shipment facility that allowed Bangladeshi goods to pass through Indian territory to international ports. The termination of the facility, once a lifeline for swift exports to destinations like Nepal, Bhutan and beyond, has left exporters scrambling to reroute shipments and absorb soaring costs. 

With global buyers demanding punctual deliveries and competitive pricing, Bangladesh’s apparel manufacturers are sounding the alarm over potential order losses and shrinking profit margins.

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