After days of escalating tensions over deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s 5 August media event, Bangladesh and India have toned down their positions while continuing to send positive signals.
Analysts say Dhaka and New Delhi need high-level political dialogue to narrow differences, rebuild trust and restore normalcy in bilateral relations.
They believe the time has come to translate positive messaging into concrete political engagement, arguing that sustained dialogue is the only way to address contentious issues between the two neighbours.
Like any bilateral relationship, Bangladesh and India have both converging and diverging interests. While cooperation in areas of mutual benefit often progresses smoothly, issues of divergence require sustained political dialogue to reach mutually acceptable solutions, they said.
Relations suffered a fresh setback after Indian authorities allowed ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been convicted in Bangladesh, to participate virtually in an event in New Delhi, where she made remarks critical of Bangladesh and its current government.
Although functional cooperation in areas such as trade, connectivity and energy continues, observers fear the latest development could further strain political ties.
Diplomatic analysts say the growing trust deficit between Dhaka and New Delhi must be addressed before the two countries can inject fresh momentum into their partnership. They argue that only high-level political engagement can help both governments discuss their concerns candidly and chart a roadmap for stronger relations.
Senior Fellow at the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) of North South University and former ambassador Md Sufiur Rahman said there have been preliminary efforts to restore normalcy in bilateral relations.
“There have been tentative efforts to overcome engagement deficit in order to bring the relationship back to normalcy. Both governments need to engage in high level engagement and political dialogue to address the existing divergences, that in turn was the result on long-practiced policy titled heavily towards Awami League and additional challenges that emerged since the overthrowing of the AL regime,” he said.
Sufiur Rahman said bilateral relations are shaped by both “mutual interest” and “mutual dependency.”
“Bangladesh and India have many areas of common interest. However, transforming those shared interests into greater interdependence require careful nurturing and meaningful political decisions. That, in turn, demands better trust among the people and political understanding between the two governments,” he said.
Former ambassador Mahbub Hassan Saleh echoed the view, saying economic cooperation would continue despite political differences, but stronger political ties would ultimately benefit both countries.
“Market-driven interests will continue to function even if political understanding is limited. However, the stronger the political relationship between neighbouring countries, the better it is for both sides,” he said.
He noted that Bangladesh had recently expressed interest in importing more diesel from India, describing it as a commercially driven decision.
“That is normal because it is market-driven. However, political dialogue remains essential for building greater understanding between the two neighbours,” he added.
When contacted, a senior official at the Indian High Commission said Bangladesh and India cooperate across a wide range of areas and that dialogue at the highest political level was needed to provide direction for advancing bilateral relations.
Referring to the two invitations extended to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman — one for a bilateral visit and another for the BRICS Summit — the official said New Delhi would welcome engagement with Bangladesh in both bilateral and multilateral formats.
Meanwhile, responding to Dhaka’s concerns, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a regular media briefing on Friday that the Indian government had no role in the media event attended by Sheikh Hasina.
“The government had no role to play in what was an event organised by a private media entity. The Government of India does not endorse anything said at the forum, especially with regard to the duly constituted government of Bangladesh,” he said.
Trust deficit
Analysts say the trust deficit between Bangladesh and India remains an open secret.
During Bangladesh’s interim government, New Delhi repeatedly stated that it would engage with any democratically elected government in Dhaka. Following the general election, India sent its parliamentary speaker to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the BNP-led government, a move widely viewed as a positive signal.
However, subsequent developments — including border tensions, alleged push-ins, and India’s decision to allow Sheikh Hasina to participate virtually in a public event from its territory — have negatively affected the political atmosphere between the two countries.
Sufiur Rahman said dialogue remains the only viable path, regardless of the level of disagreement.
“Even Iran and the United States have maintained dialogue despite being engaged in military conflict. There is no alternative to talks,” he said.
“The Indian government had earlier said it would engage with Bangladesh after the election. What is needed now is greater engagement — not actions that could be perceived as provocative by either side.”
Saleh also observed that since assuming office in February, the Bangladesh government had not sent any anti-India signals.
“Since February, the Bangladesh government has not sent any message or signal or taken any action that could be interpreted as harmful to bilateral relations. That reflects a mature approach. But unfortunately, the same can’t be said about India,” he said.
Analysts believe both sides now need to reinforce their positive rhetoric with meaningful political engagement. They caution that while New Delhi’s public messaging has generally been constructive, actions perceived in Dhaka as inconsistent with those messages could deepen mistrust and complicate efforts to rebuild confidence between the two neighbours.
