Pre-21st century signing the
instrument of surrender, ending the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. The links between the republics of modern-day India and Bangladesh are civilizational, cultural, social, and economic. There is much that unites the two countries – a shared history of the end and common heritage originating from the
Bengal region, linguistic and cultural ties, passion for music, literature and the arts. Both the countries were under the
British Raj during the colonial era, with Bengal having been the first major region conquered by the British, and British India's capital having been established in Calcutta (now Kolkata - very near the modern
India-Bangladesh border) until 1911.
Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengali
Polymath from
colonial India created the national anthems of both today's Bangladesh and India in 1905 and 1911 respectively. The initial basis for modern-day Bangladesh came with the 1905
partition of Bengal. Though this was reversed in 1911 amid much uproar, Bengal still lost some of its prestige with the simultaneous announcement at the
Delhi Durbar that the capital was to be moved to Delhi. During the
partition of British India in 1947, the
Bengal region was again partitioned based on religious lines, and
East Bengal was transferred under the
Dominion of Pakistan and
West Bengal under the
Dominion of India. East Bengal was later renamed as
East Pakistan during the implementation of the
One Unit Scheme, after which in 1971, the
Bangladesh Liberation War occurred which resulted in its independence from Pakistan. The Indian Republic was a strong ally during the war, due to which it fought the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. From the mid-1970s, however, relations worsened because Bangladesh developed closer ties with
Muslim nations, participated in the
Organization of the Islamic Conference, and increased emphasis on Islamic identity over the country's ethnolinguistic roots. The two countries developed different
Cold War alliances in the 1980s, which further chilled bilateral relations. However, the state visit by
President Ershad in 1982 was perceived as a "new chapter" in relations. With the onset of
economic liberalization in South Asia, they forged greater bilateral engagement and trade. The historic
Ganges Water Sharing Treaty was concluded in 1996. India and Bangladesh are close strategic partners in
counter-terrorism. They are also one of the largest trading partners in South Asia.
Post-21st century inspecting Guard of Honour at a Ceremonial Reception in New Delhi, March 2006. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited India in 2010 to sign a number of deals. Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh visited Dhaka in 2011 to sign number of deals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh which was historic as land boundary agreement was solved in 2015.
Relationship under Sheikh Hasina (2009–2024) meeting the Prime Minister of Bangladesh,
Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of the 4th BIMSTEC Summit, in
Kathmandu, Nepal on 30 August 2018 Throughout the
premiership of Sheikh Hasina between 2009 and 2024, India and Bangladesh enjoyed the best time in their bilateral relationship. In September 2011, the two countries signed a major accord on border demarcation to end the 4-decade-old disputes over boundaries. This came to be known as the
Tin Bigha Corridor. India also granted 24-hour access to Bangladeshi citizens in the Tin Bigha Corridor. The agreement included exchange of adversely held enclaves, involving 51,000 people spread over 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India. The total land involved is over 24,000 acres. On 9 October that year, Indian and Bangladeshi armies participated in Sampriti-II (Unity-II), a 14-day-long Joint military exercise at Sylhet to increase synergy between their forces. In 2012, Bangladesh allowed India's
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation to ferry heavy machinery, turbines and cargo through
Ashuganj for
Palatana Power project in southern
Tripura. Indian External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj visited Bangladesh in her first official overseas trip in June 2014. During her first official overseas visit, the Foreign Minister of India, Sushma Swaraj, concluded various agreements to boost ties. They include: • Easing of Visa regime to provide 5-year multiple entry visas to minors below 13 and elderly above 65. • Proposal of a special economic zone in Bangladesh. • Agreement to send back a fugitive accused of murder in India. • Provide an additional 100 MW power from
Tripura. • Increase the frequency of
Maitree Express and start buses between
Dhaka and
Guwahati and
Shillong. • Bangladesh allowed India to ferry food and grains to the landlocked
Northeast India's using its territory and infrastructure. Since Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's state visit to Bangladesh during June 2015 and the visit of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in 2017, as many as 22 agreements were signed by the two sides. Notable developments included resolution of long-pending land and maritime boundaries asserting the issue of enclaves, conclusion of over ninety instruments comprising in the hi-tech areas, i.e., electronics, cyber-security, space, information technology, and civil nuclear energy and observed increase in bilateral trade from US$9 billion to US$10.46 billion in the fiscal year (FY) 2018–19, preceded by US$7 billion to US$9 billion in FY 2017–18, an increase of 28.5 percent. During the visit, India extended a US$2 billion line of credit to Bangladesh & pledged US$5 billion worth of investments. As per the agreements, India's
Reliance Power agreed to invest US$3 billion to set up a 3,000 MW LNG-based power plant (which is the single largest foreign investment ever made in Bangladesh).
Adani Power also pledged to set up a 1600 MW coal-fired power plant for US$1.5 billion. The agreements included the ones on maritime safety co-operation and curbing
human trafficking and fake Indian currency. Modi also announced a
line of credit of $2 billion to Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi government initiated three significant infrastructure projects with the backing of India's financial assistance. These projects encompassed a power plant and railway links, among other crucial developments. In 2018, the leaders of both countries inaugurated the 130 km long Bangladesh-India Friendship pipeline to supply 4 lakh
tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh. In September 2018, the Bangladesh cabinet approved the draft of a proposed agreement with India to allow it to use the
Chittagong and
Mongla sea ports for transporting goods to and from its land-locked northeastern states.
2015 Land Boundary Agreement On 7 May 2015, the
Indian Parliament, in the presence of Bangladeshi diplomats, unanimously passed the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) as its 100th Constitutional amendment, thereby resolving all 68-year-old border disputes since the end of the British Raj. The bill has been pending ratification since the 1974 Mujib-Indira accords. At midnight on 31 July 2015, Bangladesh and India swapped territories along their ill-defined border. More than 15,000 people became citizens of India, while 36,000 people took Bangladeshi citizenship after living without nationality for decades. Ending a prolonged dispute, the two nations swapped 162 enclaves on the border region, allowing the people living there to stay or opt for the other country.
Relationship with interim government (2024–2026) Muhammad Yunus meeting the
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 6th
BIMSTEC summit in
Bangkok,
Thailand, on 2 April 2025. According to India's foreign secretary,
Vikram Misri, prime minister
Narendra Modi was among the first foreign leaders to greet
Muhammad Yunus after he assumed office as Chief Adviser. However,
August 2024 Bangladesh floods hampered Bangladesh–India relations. In early December 2024, the tensions between the two countries reduced after a diplomatic visit by India's foreign secretary. He called on the Yunus, and the meeting concluded on a positive note. The foreign secretary conveyed that New Delhi envisaged "joint and concerted efforts" and desired increased engagement with Dhaka. However, he also raised the issue of attacks on cultural and religious sites. Yunus described relations with India as "very solid". On 1 January 2025, an interview of the Bangladesh Army Chief
Waker-Uz-Zaman with Prothom Alo English hinted at a positive outlook towards India. General Waker emphasized the importance of a balanced and mutually beneficial relationship between Bangladesh and India. He acknowledged both countries' dependence on each other, with India playing a significant role in trade, work, and medical services. Waker stressed the need for fairness and equality in their interactions, ensuring Bangladeshis didn't feel dominated, preserving national interests while fostering good relations. The relationship was described as a "give and take". When questioned on security cooperation, the general stated that Bangladesh would not do anything that goes against India's strategic interests and expected India to reciprocate. On the same day, Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser
Md. Touhid Hossain mentioned that Bangladesh's ties with India would "extend beyond a single issue" and assured that maintaining good relations with India was among the priorities in 2025. On 4 April 2025, Yunus and Modi met each other for the first time since the resignation of Hasina in August 2024. Both leaders engaged in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of 6th
BIMSTEC summit in
Bangkok. Amongst the discussed topics, were extradition of Hasina, border killings, Ganges and
Teesta River water sharing,
persecution of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, and provocative statements made from the both sides. Press Secretary
Shafiqul Alam described the meeting as "constructive, productive, and fruitful". In the meeting, Yunus also gifted a picture of Modi honouring him in 102nd Indian Science Congress in 2015. Bangladesh's largest opposition
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) welcomed the meeting, with its General Secretary
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir calling it a "ray of great hope". On 26 June 2025, Bangladeshi Adviser of Foreign Affairs Md Touhid Hossain noted that Bangladesh–India relations were going through a "readjustment phase", while refuting the claim to be frozen & asserting that Bangladesh had always been open to engage with India.
Relationship under Tarique Rahman (2026-present) Before
Tarique Rahman was even officially sworn in as the PM, Indian PM Narendra Modi personally congratulated him on his victory in the
2026 Bangladesh general elections in a direct phone call. Modi described Rahman's electoral victory as decisive. A reset in ties was observed with the victory of BNP and the swearing in of Tarique Rahman. Rahman's adviser suggested the same. India welcomed the transition to the elected government. Modi was officially invited to Rahman's swearing-in ceremony. Lok Sabha speaker
Om Birla met Rahman at the ceremony and conveyed wishes from India. An official statement said that it reflected the "deep and enduring friendship" between the two countries and reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to the democratic processes. Birla, accompanied by
Vikram Misri, handed over a personal congratulatory letter from Modi to Rahman that also invited Rahman and his family to India. Additionally,
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir indicated that Bangladesh would not restrict itself in its pursuit of broader relations with New Delhi over Sheikh Hasina's presence in India. ==Diplomatic events==