Bangladesh Sets the Terms as India Finds Itself Strategically Exposed

Reading Time: 5 minutes The strategic balance between Bangladesh and India has shifted dramatically in the span of a single year. Where New Delhi once dictated the tempo and tone of bilateral engagement, it is now Dhaka that sets the conditions. Bangladesh’s newfound assertiveness is neither symbolic nor rhetorical; it is grounded in a visible reconfiguration of regional alignments, the failure of India’s coercive tactics, and Bangladesh’s ability to withstand diplomatic pressure while strengthening its external partnerships. The most telling sign of this reversal is India’s abrupt decision to invite Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman for advanced-level talks—an initiative born entirely from India’s need to recalibrate a failing strategy and stabilise a deteriorating relationship. The transition did not occur in a political vacuum. The collapse of the pro-Indian Awami League government in Dhaka shattered New Delhi’s long-standing influence. For more than a decade, India had relied on its special