2024, Vol. 6, Issue 2, Part B

Along with many other similarities, India and Bangladesh share a rich historical background, the same language, and a common culture. A comprehensive alliance based on mutual respect, equality, sovereignty, and understanding is a testament to the extraordinary nature of bilateral relations. This partnership has become a model for bilateral ties in the area and outside.As evidence of the continuing nature of this connection, there has been a surge in bilateral interactions between the two nations in the first half of 2024. January 2024 saw the historic election of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to a fourth straight term. On January 8, 2024, upon her reelection as Bangladesh's prime minister, Prime Minister Modi spoke over the phone and reiterated the two nations' people-centred cooperation. Later on, Hasina was forced from office as a result of a violent student demonstration calling for changes to the nation's reservation system for government employment. This happened after street fights and police shootings without cause, which claimed the lives of numerous students.Hasina, who flew into India on the evening of August 5, 2024, has been provided temporary residence in the country until she decides her future. This is a serious challenge for India given that for over 15 years, there was a government largely sympathetic to Indian sensitivities. Now, it has to reassess its policies towards Bangladesh in an emerging scenario.