This roundtable discussed how India–Bangladesh relations have deteriorated since Sheikh Hasina’s departure and the rise of mutual suspicion between New Delhi and the Muhammad Yunus–led Interim Government. It examined how political mistrust rather than sectoral issues such as border security, water sharing, connectivity, or trade has become the primary source of strain, with downstream effects across the partnership. As Bangladesh moves toward the February 2026 elections, participants assessed whether Dhaka’s outlook toward India has structurally shifted or represents an interim aberration, and what India’s priorities should be in engaging Bangladesh’s new political leadership given its historic ties with the Awami League. The discussion also examined whether bilateral trade can return to its pre-2025 character if political relations stabilize or whether Bangladesh’s economic priorities have fundamentally changed, along with the implications of Dhaka’s foreign policy outreach to Pakistan and China and the broader long-term trajectory of the relationship beyond the question of Sheikh Hasina’s presence in India.

Experts