'Biggest Strategic Challenge Since 1971': House Panel Flags Islamists, Pak-China Role In Bangladesh

Last Updated:December 18, 2025, 17:16 IST

Drawing on testimony from non-governmental experts, the committee said the challenge was no longer existential but had become deeper, structural and long-term.

The relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power in Dhaka. (PTI/File)

A Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, cautioned that the evolving situation in Bangladesh represents India’s most serious strategic challenge since 1971, in a report tabled in Parliament.

Drawing on testimony from non-governmental experts, the committee said the challenge was no longer existential but had become deeper, structural and long-term, shaped by Bangladesh’s ongoing political transition and a shifting regional strategic landscape.

The report highlighted the erosion of the Awami League’s political dominance, the rise of youth-driven nationalist sentiment, the resurgence of Islamist forces and the expanding influence of China and Pakistan as key developments with implications for India’s foreign policy and security interests.

During the committee’s deliberations, the Foreign Secretary informed members that former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina continues to issue statements through her personal communication devices. He underlined, however, that the Government of India was neither facilitating nor providing any political platform or political space to Sheikh Hasina from Indian territory.

“India does not permit its territory to be used for political activities against any third country," the Foreign Secretary told the panel, as per the report.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India had made sustained efforts to insulate bilateral ties from the impact of recent political developments in Bangladesh. The government told the committee that it continues to engage with the Interim Government in Dhaka and supports the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh.

At the same time, the committee raised concerns over why Indian authorities had failed to anticipate the unfolding political crisis, despite what it described as visible warning signs and widespread media reporting ahead of the developments.

In response, the government said developments in Bangladesh were being monitored on a priority basis, with assessments being continuously reviewed.

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