When India’s foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, stood before the press last week to reaffirm support for “free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections” in Bangladesh, his words were carefully chosen—and deeply telling.
They carried the weight of a regional power trying to walk a tightrope: between principle and pragmatism, between friendship and interference, between democratic idealism and geopolitical realism.
India, Misri said, would “work with whichever government the people of Bangladesh choose.” That sentence, deliberate in tone, reflects a recalibrated strategy. After years of being seen as overly aligned with the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina’s increasingly authoritarian rule, New Delhi now seems intent on publicly reclaiming the language of democracy. It’s a subtle but significant shift.
For decades, Bangladesh has been one of India’s most important neighbours—geographically entwined, historically bonded, and strategically indispensable.
Yet, as the country now transitions under the interim leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the old assumptions about political continuity no longer hold. The question is not just who governs in Dhaka, but whether India is prepared to redefine its role as a partner in democratic resilience, rather than a passive observer of political turbulence.
A pragmatic reset in Indian diplomacy
India’s official line sounds familiar—non-interference, support for elections, partnership with whoever is democratically chosen. But context gives it new meaning.
Bangladesh’s politics have been convulsive. After years of dominance by Hasina’s Awami League, marked by accusations of electoral manipulation and human rights abuses, the country now finds itself under an interim administration promising a reset. India’s tone suggests recognition that business as usual won’t suffice.
Misri’s remarks about creating “a facilitating environment” and avoiding actions that “vitiate the atmosphere” are diplomatic code for restraint — both by political actors inside Bangladesh and by regional powers outside it. It’s also a quiet acknowledgement that India’s credibility in South Asia depends on aligning words with actions.
For New Delhi, backing free and fair elections in Bangladesh isn’t just altruism. It’s self-interest. A stable, democratic Bangladesh means predictable borders, safer trade corridors, and a diminished risk of extremism spilling across frontiers. But to achieve that, India must show that it supports process over personalities—that democracy, not dependency, anchors its neighbourhood policy.
Muhammad Yunus and Bangladesh’s fragile transition
Into this volatile moment steps Muhammad Yunus, a figure who symbolises both moral integrity and political inexperience. Revered internationally for his work on microfinance and poverty alleviation, Yunus now finds himself thrust into the most delicate task of his career: shepherding a polarised nation toward credible elections.
His appointment as interim chief adviser is not without irony. For years, Yunus has been at odds with Bangladesh’s political elite, including Hasina herself, who once accused him of political ambition. Yet now, he presides over the very system he long criticised.
The challenges before him are monumental. Restoring public confidence in electoral institutions. Reining in political violence. Ensuring press freedom. Managing an economy battered by inflation and global shocks. Each of these would test a seasoned politician—let alone a technocrat suddenly tasked with national reconciliation.
Still, Yunus’s leadership represents a unique opportunity. If he can resist political capture and deliver transparent elections, Bangladesh could begin to heal from years of authoritarian drift. But if this transition falters, the damage to democratic credibility could be lasting. The stakes could not be higher.
India–Bangladesh relations: Building trust from the ground up
For India, the Yunus interregnum is a test of diplomatic maturity. The temptation may be to hedge bets—to quietly maintain links with old power networks while publicly endorsing reform. But any duplicity would only deepen Bangladeshi suspicion that India prefers predictability to pluralism.
True partnership requires a more expansive vision: one that looks beyond governments to people-to-people trust.
Over the past decade, trade, connectivity, and energy cooperation have brought tangible gains — power grids linked across borders, new riverine routes, cross-border bus services, and growing cultural exchanges. Yet, resentment persists in parts of Bangladesh, where India is viewed as overbearing, even dismissive. Repairing that perception demands empathy, not just economics.
This is where India’s soft power — education, technology, health cooperation — can matter more than megaprojects. Supporting democratic institutions, not merely governments, would show that India’s friendship is with Bangladesh’s people, not its politicians.
For Dhaka, too, the path forward lies in transparency. The interim government must communicate clearly, both domestically and internationally, about its roadmap for elections and post-poll transition. Credibility will hinge not on lofty promises but on visible, verifiable fairness.
Democracy as diplomacy
By supporting a genuine democratic process in Dhaka, India can demonstrate its commitment to democracy. The world is watching South Asia again. Not for the grand alliances of the past, but for something simpler and more profound: whether its two closest neighbours can choose trust over tactics.
If Bangladesh’s elections in February are genuinely free and fair, and if India treats the outcome with openness and respect, both nations could emerge stronger—proof that democracy, however battered, still has the power to rebuild trust.
In a region too often defined by rivalry and suspicion, that would be an achievement worth far more than any diplomatic communiqué.
Mohammad Waliuddin Tanvir is a Dhaka-born political and human rights analyst based in the UK.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.