India-Bangladesh relations are at an all-time low after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, coming to the helm in Dhaka.
India-Bangladesh relations: Bangladesh, which has adopted a confrontational stance towards India after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime and an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus coming to power in August last year, is reportedly preparing for a direct military confrontation with India, a recent intelligence report has revealed.
According to the report, Bangladesh border forces, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), are digging bunkers near several border areas on the India-Bangladesh border adjacent to northern Bengal. The report revealed that the BGP is removing soil at various places on the border, presumably to dig trenches and bunkers, in preparation for a possible confrontation with India’s Border Security Force (BSF) personnel.
Tensions rise on India-Bangladesh border
Tensions have been running high on the India-Bangladesh border, especially since last week when a dispute erupted between BSF and BGB personnel over the installation of a barbed wire fence on the open border at Teen Bigha Corridor in Mekhliganj block. However, the situation was quickly resolved by both sides in an emergency meeting between the BGB commander and BSF’s regional chief at Petrapole border in North 24 Parganas.
The two officers discussed promoting peace on the border and mutual cooperation between the two forces, and upon Bangladesh’s request, India halted its plan to fence the Teen Bigha Corridor.
However, following the confrontation between the two border forces, both BGB and BSF have increased troop strength on their respective sides, apart from increased surveillance and patrolling on the strategic border.
On the request of Bangladesh, India stopped its plan to build a fence. This development is important because tension is increasing on the India-Bangladesh border after political turmoil in Bangladesh and the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.
India-Bangladesh relations at all-time low
India-Bangladesh relations are at an all-time low after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, coming to the helm in Dhaka.
Widespread communal violence against minorities in Bangladesh, especially Hindus, which has soured Dhaka’s ties with New Delhi, with the latter accusing the Yunus-led interim government of not doing enough, and turning a blind eye to the atrocities perpetrated by radical Islamist elements against the minority Hindu community in the country.
Notably, amid rising tensions in India-Bangladesh relations, Dhaka is reportedly mulling to purchase the Abdali Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBMs) aka the Hatf 2 missiles, from Pakistan, to act as a deterrent against an Indian attack.
