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India is currently staring at a massive headache right in its backyard and honestly it is something that our foreign policy experts have not seen in over fifty years. A parliamentary standing committee on external affairs has just dropped a bombshell report in the Winter Session of Parliament. The report has labeled the ongoing political turbulence in Bangladesh as the single biggest strategic challenge for New Delhi since the Liberation War of 1971. This is a huge statement because for decades we have looked at Dhaka as our most trusted friend in the region but the ground reality is shifting fast and it is not looking good.
The committee which is headed by senior leader Shashi Tharoor has sounded the alarm about how things have drastically changed after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina and her government. While the crisis of 1971 was about helping a new nation take birth this new challenge is much more complicated because it involves managing a friend who might be turning away. The report highlights that there is a fundamental shift in the political order next door. It is no longer business as usual because the vacuum left by the previous regime is quickly being filled by forces that do not exactly wish India well.
What is really worrying the committee is the active entry of China and Pakistan into the scene. The report points out that while New Delhi was trying to figure things out Beijing and Islamabad saw an opportunity and jumped right in. China is expanding its footprint with massive infrastructure projects and potential submarine bases which could be a military threat. On the other hand Pakistan is using this political chaos to renew its old ties and revive anti-India sentiments. It is a double whammy for Indian security interests as we now have to watch our back on the eastern front too.
Another scary detail mentioned in the report is the comeback of hardline Islamist groups into the mainstream conversation in Bangladesh. Organizations like Jamaat-e-Islami which were on the sidelines for years have found new energy. This is leading to a rise in radical rhetoric that targets India. The younger generation in Bangladesh is also being influenced by this narrative which complicates our long term relationship with them. It is not just about diplomacy anymore it is about national security and ensuring that our borders remain safe from this new wave of hostility.
The panel has strongly advised the government that we cannot afford to sit idle or rely on old playbooks. India needs to change its approach immediately and start engaging with all political parties in Bangladesh and not just depend on one or two faces. We need to be proactive to ensure that this strategic gap does not become permanent because losing influence in Dhaka would be a diplomatic disaster that we simply cannot afford right now. The message is loud and clear that we need to wake up and act before the neighborhood completely changes its colors.
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