Indian Foreign Policy Amidst Bangladesh Turmoil: Challenges and Diplomatic Maneuvers

Good morning. Welcome to my podcast. Today we are discussing how the Indian foreign policy can be affected due to the ongoing turmoil in Bangladesh.

Indian foreign policy has had a massive setback caused by the civic unrest and the ongoing violence in Bangladesh. It is one of the biggest diplomatic challenges PM Narendra Modi and the NDA government faces. The ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina maintains a good relationship with the Indian government.

When it comes to the relationship with other neighbouring countries, our country has to overcome a number of challenges. To be more precise, Myanmar remains caught in the vortex of a military rule. The Maldives recently witnessed a change in leadership that showed an anti-Indian policy. The current president, Mohammad Moissou, announced a pro-China policy and in the past he visited China, signing a number of agreements. Also, he has requested the Indian government to withdraw the military personnel from Maldives.

Up north, Nepal has witnessed a return of leadership who are more inclined to China and their interests to the west. Despite the deepening economic crisis, Pakistan has been making efforts to cause troubles in Kashmir.

Returning to Bangladesh and their unrest, the Indian government called an all-party meeting in which the Bangladesh crisis has been discussed further. As per the Indian government and the external affairs minister S. Deshchanga, the Indian government has been closely watching the situation in Bangladesh. The priority should be the evacuation of Indian personnel and diplomats from Bangladesh. Also, India has to be vigilant, especially along the 4,000 kilometers of border it shares with Bangladesh where the unrest is ongoing.