Relationship dossier
Bangladesh
India
Relationship assessment
Broad cooperation on security and connectivity coexists with persistent disputes over water and the border.
Bangladesh toward India
+30Bangladesh cooperated with India on security, including action against insurgent groups using Bangladeshi territory to target India. The Bangladeshi government also worked with India to implement the 2015 land-boundary settlement and supported cross-border connectivity and electricity links.
India toward Bangladesh
+25India worked with Bangladesh to implement the 2015 land-boundary settlement and supported connectivity projects and electricity links. Indian policy has also involved border fencing and security operations, while killings of Bangladeshi civilians by Indian border forces and the unresolved Teesta water-sharing question have strained relations.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship rests on close geographic and economic interdependence, reinforced by practical cooperation on security, electricity, transport and settlement of the long-running land-boundary issue. These durable ties are offset by recurring friction over shared rivers, trade and border security, including civilian deaths along the border.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Bangladesh and India have built substantial cooperation in security, electricity, transport connectivity and border management. Bangladesh has acted against insurgent groups operating from its territory that targeted India, while the two governments implemented a major land-boundary settlement. Relations also face recurring strains, notably unresolved water-sharing questions and Indian border-force killings of Bangladeshi civilians.
Areas of tension
- The Teesta water-sharing agreement remains unresolved.
- Bangladeshi civilians have been killed by Indian border forces.
- Trade restrictions and market-access concerns have periodically strained relations.
Key developments
India and Bangladesh signed the Land Boundary Agreement, settling outstanding questions involving enclaves and boundary demarcation.
The two governments implemented the Land Boundary Agreement, with India ratifying it through a constitutional amendment and the enclave exchange taking effect.
Bangladesh and India established cross-border electricity trade through grid connections, enabling Bangladesh to import power from India.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which recent changes in Bangladesh's government will alter bilateral cooperation is unclear.
- The prospects for a Teesta water-sharing agreement remain uncertain.