Connectivity at a crossroads: India-Bangladesh ties after regime changeThe regime change in Bangladesh following the 2024 uprising not only unsettled its domestic political landscape but also triggered strategic recalibrations across its neighbourhood. In 2023, the Akhaura-Agartala cross-border rail link was launched to reduce the travelling time and distance between India’s Northeast and Kolkata, bypassing the Siliguri Corridor. It can be expanded to facilitate the movement of third-country export-import cargo, especially from and to India’s Northeast. However, the regime change in Bangladesh last year and India’s strained ties with the new interim government have had a directly detrimental impact on these connectivity projects. How will the strain in ties with Bangladesh affect India’s foreign policy and regional organisations such as BIMSTEC and SAARC?

Source: The Hindu December 21, 2025 08:11 UTC