Indian MPs call for repair in ties with Bangladesh, focus on shared culture

The lawmakers said Dhaka must not be viewed as a hostile neighbour like Pakistan, reports The Hindu

Members of India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs have signalled support for repairing and advancing ties with Bangladesh, amid compounding diplomatic and trade tensions between the neighbours.

The Hindu reported on Saturday that committee MPs and four foreign policy experts met in a “special interaction” where the lawmakers expressed a collective desire to “move ahead” with Bangladesh-India relations.

In a separate report earlier, it said the session, held Friday afternoon, was led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and focused on the current state of Dhaka-Delhi ties and how India can restore its position.

Present at the two-and-a-half-hour consultation were former Indian national security advisor Shivshankar Menon, former Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das, retired Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, and Jawaharlal Nehru University Professor Amitabh Mattoo.

“All Members of Parliament displayed pathos and understanding of the issues between India and Bangladesh and there was a real desire among the MPs to mend the bilateral ties and take things forward,” a source told The Hindu on condition of anonymity.

The Hindu cited another source saying there was a broad agreement that India and Bangladesh are linked by shared culture and language, and “should not be viewed as a hostile neighbour like Pakistan”.

Several MPs reportedly proposed a “soft launch” of cultural diplomacy involving West Bengal as a way to ease tensions and repair dialogue.

The Indian national daily noted that Dhaka has already made such a gesture, with Bangladesh High Commissioner M Riaz Hamidullah meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday.

“West Bengal and Bangladesh are connected through a common language and culture, the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam, and this vital link should be utilised for para-diplomacy between New Delhi and Dhaka through public events and interactions,” said a source familiar with the committee’s internal exchanges told The Hindu.

MPs also flagged concerns over China’s growing influence in Bangladesh, cross-border migration, and the recent Kunming meeting between the foreign ministries of Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan held on Jun 19.

Bilateral tensions have deepened since the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024.

The political shift was followed by diplomatic chill and tit-for-tat economic restrictions.

India most recently banned the import of jute products and woven textiles from Bangladesh via land ports on Friday -- the third such move in less than three months.

On May 17, New Delhi imposed controls on ready-made garments and processed food imports from Bangladesh.

Before that, on Apr 9, it withdrew transshipment access that had allowed Bangladesh to export to the Middle East and Europe via Indian ports.