A Bangladesh that wants diplomatic space to grow must first secure strategic space. If it wants autonomy, it must first make coercion unprofitable. That is the hard, unromantic truth of the world as it is, not as we might wish it to be.
Turning water into a nationalist symbol may mobilize sentiment, but it has never produced water -- and it has often delayed the reordering of ties that scarcity now makes unavoidable.
India has not merely provoked a cyclical wave of anti-India sentiment; it has actively contributed to giving it a permanent, structural form. The alienation is no longer just about borders -- it is about sovereignty.
We cannot let the Bangladesh-India relationship and discourse be hijacked by the hard-liners on either side of the border who favour hostility and antagonism over cordiality and cooperation.
The India-Bangladesh relationship is undergoing not rupture, but delayed normalization. Bangladesh is asserting the right to disagree without permission. India is confronting the limits of informal hegemony
The tragedy of Osman Hadi’s death should have been a moment for empathy and restraint. Instead, it is becoming a catalyst for deeper division. If India continues to allow its media and political discourse to inflame rather than inform, it risks locking the relationship with Bangladesh into a cycle of hostility that will endure far beyond the current crisis.
To understand Bangladesh 2025, it’s helpful to know what happened in Bengal in 1905, where it all began. We need to know who we are and where we came from if we hope to chart a path to a better future.
The India-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty allows either country to request extradition with an arrest warrant and a conviction. Procedurally, Bangladesh meets the threshold: Hasina has been convicted and sentenced. On paper, this gives Dhaka a strong case. But extradition is never just about procedure. It hinges on interpretation -- and political will.
In the end, this is not merely about the fate of one leader. It is about whether Bangladesh chooses a future built on due process and political inclusion, or one defined by courtroom theatrics and punitive exclusion. Right now, the scales are tilted dangerously toward the latter.
A functional India-Bangladesh relationship -- built on mutual respect and interests -- is an economic and geo-strategic imperative. Otherwise, India’s fears of “strategic encirclement” risks becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.
India has made non-alignment and multi-lateralism the cornerstone of its foreign policy since independence. But now the time may be coming when it will have to choose a side.
How do you spot an agent provocateur in the pay of our enemies? Easy. Look for someone trying to create a wedge between the military and the public. Look for someone inciting violence.
Myanmar is the site of the current day Great Game between China and India for geostrategic control. What does this mean for Bangladesh?
Soon we will no longer be able to rely on Prof Yunus's global reputation to smooth things over with allies and adversaries alike. It is time for Bangladesh to invest in its diplomatic capacity. The future belongs to those who can skillfully maneuver on the world stage.
