As Bangladesh moves towards elections on Thursday, February 12, New Delhi is watching closely. India has made it clear that it is ready to engage with the elected government in Dhaka. But the road to that reset has been rocky. After Sheikh Hasina fled to India in 2024, relations between the two neighbors deteriorated sharply, and the December assassination of radical youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi proved a flashpoint.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and religious activists burn posters of Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh, during a protest near the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Kolkata on December 22, 2025. (Photo Divyanshu Sarkar/AFP) (AFP)Hadi, a prominent figure in the July uprising and a vocal critic of India, was shot on December 122025, in Paltan area of Dhaka. He was airlifted to Singapore General Hospital on 15 December but died three days later. What happened after that There was a wave of violence across the country The attack was reported at the press office such as Daily Star And Prothom Hello in Dhaka, the Indian diplomatic mission in Chittagong, and in several cases, members of the Hindu minority community.
Violence against minoritiesIn the days following Hadi’s assassination, there were reports of attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus. One incident that attracted widespread attention was the brutal beating to death of a worker in a Hindu garment factory Deepu Chandra Das He was reportedly tied to a tree and set on fire in Mymensingh on charges of blasphemy.
New Delhi reacted strongly In December last year, India described the “persistent hostility” against minorities in Bangladesh as a matter of “grave concern” and demanded punishment for those involved in the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das.
In early January, India once again pressed Bangladesh to “swiftly and firmly” address attacks on minorities and termed it “disturbing” that attempts were being made to attribute the incidents to external causes.
“We are witnessing a disturbing pattern of repeated attacks on minorities as well as on their homes and businesses by extremists,” said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
Such communal incidents need to be dealt with “swiftly and firmly”, he added. “We have noticed an alarming trend of attributing such incidents to personal rivalries, political differences or external factors,” Jaiswal said, adding, “Such negligence only encourages criminals and deepens feelings of fear and insecurity among minorities.”
Anti-India sentimentThe deterioration of relations cannot be seen in isolation from the internal political upheaval in Bangladesh. After the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, relations became heated after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took over.
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Sheikh Hasina, seen as India’s trusted ally for a long time, has been living in India since her ouster. Dhaka asked for his returnbut New Delhi has so far not agreed – a factor that has fueled anti-India sentiment among parts of Bangladesh’s political spectrum.
After Hadi’s assassination, some youth leaders reportedly made inflammatory statements against India. Anti-Indian sentiment in Bangladesh is not new, but it has intensified in recent months.
In December, Bangladeshi security forces had to prevent protesters from marching towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. In the same month, a mob pelted stones at the Indian Assistant High Commission building in Chittagong, sparking outrage in Delhi. According to local news channel Dhaka Tribune, police arrested 12 people involved in the incident but were later released without charge.
There was a counter-protest in India as well. Political parties including the Congress and the BJP, including parties from West Bengal, have protested against the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh.
Gap in Hindu Minority RepresentationThe representation of minorities in the political system of Bangladesh is also limited. According to official data cited by AFP, only four percent of candidates standing in the elections this time are from minority backgrounds in the country of 170 million. This leaves minorities under-represented in parliament and politically weakened.
Hindus have often been targeted for their perceived loyalty to Sheikh Hasina’s now banned Awami League. The fall of her government and the subsequent anti-Hasina uprising triggered a new wave of communal tension.
Muhammad Yunus The interim government led by him has played down the violence, attributing many incidents to criminal rather than sectarian targeting. However, India has publicly rejected such explanations while appearing to downplay the gravity of the attack.
Strategic Partnership for DelhiPolicy makers in India are acutely aware of the changing dynamics of Bangladesh. An Indian parliamentary panel headed by Congress’ Shashi Tharoor recently said developments there were “strategic at best”. Challenges to Delhi since the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence.
According to the panel, political unrest in Bangladesh has spilled over into widespread social unrest, with protests spreading across the country as economic pressures deepen public frustration. The committee also said that the Ministry of External Affairs informed the lawmakers that India is engaging with the Interim Government of Bangladesh by supporting the aspirations of its people.
For India, Bangladesh is not just a neighbor, it is central to its Act East policy, regional connectivity plan and security calculus in the Bay of Bengal. Instability, rising anti-India rhetoric and attacks on minorities have complicated that equation.
With Bangladesh voting on February 12, New Delhi has signaled that it will work with an elected government. This could open the door to a diplomatic reboot.
