Post-Hasina India-Bangladesh Relations: Implications for Northeast India

Both India and Bangladesh enjoyed unhindered bilateral relations in the last decade. The two nations appeared to have recognized the imperatives of geography and their interdependence. As a result, the bilateral ties improved and both nations seemed to have moved beyond their mutual mistrust and lethargy. In the past decade, Bangladesh played an important role in the development of the North Eastern Region (NER). However, improvement in bilateral ties between the two nations remained primarily dependent on the regime of Sheikh Hasina. India’s proximity to her was regarded as the key driver of change in the bilateral relationship. Thus, a sudden disruption in the Awami League regime in Bangladesh has impacted the bilateral relations, particularly the prospect of development in the NER, which is yet to unlock optimally. In this backdrop, the present study seeks to understand the importance of Bangladesh in terms of the NER and potential challenges of recent regime change in Bangladesh.