Parliamentary Panel Flags How China, Pakistan Is Making Bangladesh A Challenge For India | India News

Bangladesh Political Turmoil: Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has rapidly turned into an anti-India hub; student leaders and army officials openly threaten New Delhi and raise the issue of the Chicken Neck corridor. Now, the parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs has stressed that the situation in Bangladesh poses the most important strategic challenge for India since 1971. The panel said that the improving political and security situation in Bangladesh and the resurgence of Islamist forces have not only weakened domestic political structures but also confirmed the growing influence of China and Pakistan in Dhaka, The Times of India reported.

“India is facing its biggest strategic challenge in Bangladesh since the 1971 War of Liberation. While the 1971 challenge was existential, humanitarian and the birth of a new nation, the second was more serious, a generational discontinuity, a shift in the political order and a potential strategic realignment away from India,” said an expert quoted in the report.

On Thursday, the committee presented its ninth report titled “Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship” in the Lok Sabha. The panel, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, observed that although the current situation does not amount to an immediate threat to India’s security, it poses a significant long-term strategic challenge with potential implications for regional stability and India’s neighborhood policy.

The committee also noted the re-emergence of Islamist organizations as well as the rise of youth-driven nationalist movements and warned that this convergence could destabilize and affect not only Bangladesh’s internal security but also the broader regional environment.

The panel also expressed concern over the growing influence of China and Pakistan in Bangladesh, noting that this trend could erode India’s traditional influence in Dhaka and further complicate New Delhi’s strategic considerations in the region.

The Committee called on the Government of India to continue advocating for a democratic, stable, peaceful, forward-looking, inclusive Bangladesh. The Committee also recommends that the Government maintain diplomatic relations with all political, social and civil society stakeholders in Bangladesh to enhance the environment of trust and dialogue.