India and Bangladesh move towards resetting ties

DW News · Feb 26, 2026 · Collected from RSS

Full Article

Ties between India and Bangladesh frayed after Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to Delhi amid violent protests that toppled her 15-year rule in 2024. Now, the South Asian neighbors are taking steps towards reconciliation by resuming visa services. Bangladeshi diplomatic missions across India will now fully reopen tourist visa services. India's visa operations in Bangladesh will reopen in phases, with the Indian High Commission currently issuing medicaland double-entry business visas. Full restoration for all categories, including tourist, student, and employment visas, is expected in the coming weeks. Why were visa services suspended? Bangladesh froze Indian tourist visas in December 2025 following violent protests outside Bangladeshi missions in New Delhi and other Indian cities over the lynching of a Hindu man allegedly at the hands of an Islamist mob in Bangladesh. Officials cited security considerations ahead of Bangladesh's February general election as a reason for the suspension. Only business and employment visas were being processed during this period. India had already suspended most of its visa services in Bangladesh in late 2024 following unrest after Hasina's ouster, and closed visa centers in Dhaka and Chittagong, in late 2025, citing security concerns.India, Bangladesh seek 'recalibration' Tensions began to resolve somewhat after Bangladesh elected a new governmentearlier in February, with new Prime Minister Tarique Rahman promising a reset of ties with India. Longstanding bilateral tensions include disputes over water resources, the political fate of Hasina's Awami League party, and border management. "Both India and Bangladesh are seeking a recalibration of bilateral ties. The unfreezing of visas signals policy intent to that effect. But this is the start of a trust-building exercise, not an end," Avinash Paliwal, reader in international relations at London's School of Oriental and African Studies, told DW. Paliwal said negotiations on long-standing issues such as water-sharing, trade asymmetry, and the Awami League's situation will determine whether a true reset is underway. "Domestic political opinions about each other remain riddled with mistrust in both India and Bangladesh. To navigate foreign policy recalibration in this context is a challenge," Paliwal added. The analyst said that Bangladesh's new leadership under the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BNP), now have strong mandates and political space to maneuver towards better ties. Why is India protecting Bangladesh's Sheik Hasina?To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Bangladesh's new government looks to the future After he was sworn in, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Rahman said his government would pursue a forward-looking relationship with New Delhi based on mutual respect and national interest, signaling that engagement, not confrontation, would shape Dhaka's approach going forward. Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, a former Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, told DW that the visa move is a people-centric step that will benefit thousands of Bangladeshis who travel to India for medical treatment. He added that other steps are also being taken to improve ties. "The collateral steps of restarting bus and passenger train services will address connectivity," Chakravarty said. He added that the removal of some non-tariff barriers will boost trade and economic activity, and the next step will be to restart projects that were frozen by the Bangladeshi interim government. These could cover issues like river water sharing, illegal migration, treatment of Hindus, security, counter terrorism, and border management. "There are over 60 bilateral mechanisms for bilateral engagement on a gamut of issues," added Chakravarty. Changing public perceptions In Bangladesh, there remains a perception that India is still aligned with Hasina's Awami League. In November 2025, the ousted prime minister was sentenced to death in Bangladesh over the violent crackdown against protests that left more than 1,400 dead. Hasina still lives in exile in India, and Bangladesh's government expressed outrage that she was allowed to speak publicly in January. Bangladesh court sentences Sheikh Hasina to deathTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In India, concerns center on the treatment of the Hindu minority and the direction of Bangladeshi domestic politics. Sreeradha Datta, a Bangladesh expert at the Jindal School of International Affairs, told DW that opening visas is a "start" that will "create goodwill." "Rahman will have to convince a certain section of society that working with India is going to be beneficial for Bangladesh. It is a mutually dependent relationship. India can offer needed economic support while also considering and reviewing other concerns Dhaka may have," Datta said. "There is no need to rush, but both sides will have to be cognizant of each other's needs and expectations," she added. Edited by: Wesley Rahn