Bangladesh has signaled a significantly tougher posture on border and water-sharing issues with India, with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir declaring that Dhaka “will no longer sit and watch” developments along the frontier and warning that Bangladesh has its own plans.
Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on Monday, Kabir said Bangladesh was no longer prepared to accept what he described as past patterns of conduct along the border, particularly in relation to fencing, shootings, and broader bilateral tensions.
“Bangladesh is not afraid of barbed wire,” Kabir said during the media interaction. “Where we need to talk, we will talk.”
His remarks came amid renewed debate over border fencing initiatives along sections of the India-Bangladesh frontier following recent political developments in the Indian state of West Bengal, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed a new government after defeating the Trinamool Congress.
Kabir suggested Bangladesh was closely monitoring statements made during the West Bengal election campaign, including what he described as “extreme and inappropriate rhetoric” by some political leaders. However, he added that campaign speeches and governance are “not the same thing,” and said Dhaka would wait to see how the new administration acts in office.
“Bangladesh’s relationship is with the central government of India,” he said, emphasizing that Dhaka would not interfere in India’s internal affairs while expecting responsible conduct from New Delhi and state authorities.
Dhaka Signals Shift in Border Policy
Kabir’s comments reflected what appears to be a broader recalibration in Bangladesh’s foreign policy posture under the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, particularly regarding India.
He stated that Bangladesh’s people and government no longer fear border fencing and warned that Dhaka would not tolerate actions it considers provocative.
“If anyone thinks Bangladesh can be intimidated by barbed wire, there is no room for that anymore,” Kabir told journalists. “The kind of border situation we saw during Sheikh Hasina’s period will never return. If someone tries to repeat that model, this Bangladesh is not the Bangladesh that will just sit and watch. Bangladesh also has plans regarding what needs to be done.”
The adviser did not elaborate on what those “plans” might involve.
Border tensions between Bangladesh and India have long been a politically sensitive issue. Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized incidents involving shootings and killings along the frontier, particularly by India’s Border Security Force (BSF). Bangladeshi officials across successive governments have periodically raised concerns about excessive use of force and the humanitarian impact of fencing and border enforcement.
Kabir said India must demonstrate “humanity” in border security management if it wants to improve people-to-people relations with Bangladesh.
Political Context After Bangladesh’s Upheaval
The remarks also come against the backdrop of dramatic political changes in Bangladesh since the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
Since Aug. 5, 2024, Bangladesh has undergone major political transformation following the collapse of the Awami League government amid mass unrest and military-backed political realignment. The country was subsequently governed by an army- and Islamist-backed interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus before the February 2026 election brought the BNP-led alliance headed by Tarique Rahman to power. The Awami League was barred from contesting the election, while Jamaat-e-Islami emerged as the parliamentary opposition.
Kabir accused Sheikh Hasina, who remains in India, of attempting to destabilize Bangladesh from abroad.
Kabir, citing a highly controversial figure, attributed the killings to Sheikh Hasina’s rule, though most reportedly occurred after the fall of the Awami League in August 2024. He said, “Sheikh Hasina fled after the killing of 1,500 people and is now in India. It would not be good for Bangladesh to be destabilized from Indian territory.”
He added that Bangladesh had received assurances from the Indian government that Hasina would not be allowed to use Indian soil for political activities targeting Dhaka.
Teesta Issue Returns to Center Stage
Kabir also addressed the long-stalled Teesta water-sharing agreement, a key unresolved issue in India-Bangladesh relations for more than a decade.
The proposed agreement, first expected to be signed in 2011, stalled largely because of objections from the then-West Bengal government led by Mamata Banerjee. The issue has remained a major diplomatic irritant between Dhaka and New Delhi.
Now, with the BJP controlling both India’s central government and the West Bengal state administration, Bangladesh believes political obstacles may have diminished.
“The Indian central government always said the Teesta agreement could not move forward because of the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal,” Kabir said. “Now both the Centre and the state are governed by the BJP. We hope there will be fewer obstacles in advancing discussions.”
Analysts have also suggested that the BJP’s electoral victory in West Bengal could create a more favorable political environment for negotiations over Teesta water-sharing.
The Teesta River is critical to agriculture in northern Bangladesh, especially during the dry season, when water shortages severely affect irrigation. Experts have long warned that failure to resolve the dispute has contributed to mistrust between the two neighbors.
China’s Expanding Role in Teesta Project
Kabir confirmed that Bangladesh and China discussed the Teesta project during recent high-level bilateral talks and said China’s Exim Bank is expected to finance aspects of the initiative.
“We had positive discussions on the Teesta issue,” he said. “China’s Exim Bank will finance the project.”
The involvement of China in the Teesta restoration and management project has attracted regional attention because of growing geopolitical competition between Beijing and New Delhi in South Asia. Recent reports indicate Dhaka has formally sought Chinese support for the Teesta restoration initiative.
Kabir described China as a “historic and important bilateral partner” for Bangladesh and said the current government wants to deepen cooperation with Beijing.
“This is the first Beijing visit under the new government,” he said, referring to plans for an upcoming official trip by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. “New opportunities have emerged to take relations to a new height.”
However, he noted that details regarding the prime minister’s China visit and any formal agreements related to the Teesta project have not yet been finalized.
Balancing India and China
The latest remarks from Dhaka underline Bangladesh’s increasingly assertive diplomatic posture as it seeks to balance ties with both India and China while pursuing what officials describe as a “Bangladesh First” foreign policy.
In recent days, Kabir has repeatedly stressed that Bangladesh does not want to become a geopolitical “football” between regional powers and instead wants to maintain relations with India, China, and the United States on the basis of national interest.
Regional observers say the coming months could prove critical for India-Bangladesh relations, particularly on unresolved issues involving border management, migration, security cooperation, and transboundary river agreements.
While both sides continue to publicly emphasize dialogue and regional stability, the increasingly sharp rhetoric emerging from Dhaka suggests Bangladesh’s new leadership intends to negotiate from a more confrontational and self-confident position than in previous years.
