Bangladesh's new Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, whose BNP won two-thirds of parliamentary seats in February 2026, is recalibrating foreign policy around "Bangladesh First," balancing India, China, and the US while prioritizing sovereignty and economic returns over ideological alignment.
India and Bangladesh shifted from viewing separate security threats to recognizing shared challenges like terrorism and organized crime, transforming their relationship into a security partnership after 2009, though recent Chinese infrastructure investments and Bangladesh's 2024 political transition have strained mutual trust.
India expressed cautious concern Friday as Bangladesh partners with China on Teesta river development and an economic corridor, stating it monitors regional developments and will take appropriate measures while reiterating previously conveyed positions on the shared waterway.
Bangladesh and Pakistan called for reviving SAARC in 2025, arguing the regional forum remains viable despite New Delhi's previous neglect, as minilateral alternatives face strain from geopolitical instability and shifting great power dynamics.
India and Bangladesh agreed Wednesday to normalize strained bilateral relations by resuming diplomatic mechanisms, addressing contentious issues separately, and enhancing trade and energy cooperation, marking the first ministerial visit since the BNP's election victory in February.
Student-led protests ousted Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, ending India's fifteen-year "golden era" of bilateral ties and prompting Dhaka to deepen engagement with China and Pakistan while maintaining critical trade and security interdependencies with New Delhi.
Bangladesh's BNP government completed its first hundred days facing criticism over political repression, deteriorating law and order, economic decline, and weak foreign investment attraction of only $1.8 billion, undermining democratic pluralism and institutional stability.
Bangladesh seeks ASEAN membership to diversify its diplomatic and economic portfolio.
Bangladesh's new government faces urgent economic revival and great power balancing after political upheaval, needing growth above 4.5 percent and diversified foreign investment while managing relations with India, China, Pakistan, and the United States without subordination.
NSA Doval hosted Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman for dinner talks in New Delhi, marking the first ministerial visit since the BNP's February election victory, as both nations seek to reset bilateral relations through mutual trust and shared interests.
Bangladesh's new Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited China before India in June 2026, signaling Beijing's growing influence while Bangladesh navigates economic fragility, USD 78 billion external debt, and strained India relations requiring stronger regional partnership support.
India cautiously monitors Bangladesh's China-backed Teesta river development and economic corridor plans, pledging appropriate responses while emphasizing its own development assistance framework and previously conveyed concerns about the projects.
Bangladesh's new Prime Minister formalized a deal with China to develop an economic zone at Mongla port, replacing India's previously planned project, expanding Beijing's strategic footprint across the Indian Ocean region amid deteriorating India-Bangladesh ties.
Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman plans his first overseas visit to China in late June, prioritizing Chinese financing for the delayed Teesta river restoration project while tensions with India over water-sharing agreements escalate.
Bangladesh's foreign minister visits India April 7-10 to repair strained diplomatic ties through discussions on energy cooperation, water sharing, and visa normalization, marking the first ministerial visit since 2024 protests.