Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has said that a change in government in Bangladesh could lead to changes in relations between India and Bangladesh. He mentioned that it might be “too early” to make a decision regarding Bangladesh’s role. He emphasized that the military relationship between the two countries is currently very strong, with regular exchange of notes to avoid any misunderstandings.
The statement was made during an interactive session at the India Today Conclave in New Delhi on March 8, as reported by NDTV. While discussing Pakistan and China relations, General Dwivedi brought up the topic of Bangladesh.
He said, “What this means, in my view, is that the threat of a two-front scenario is now a reality. The second aspect you’ve mentioned is the cooperation or the relationship between our western neighbor and Bangladesh.”
When asked about the growing closeness between Pakistan and Bangladesh, he expressed concerns about terrorism, saying, “As far as I know, any country used as a hub for terrorism and maintaining relations with any of our neighboring countries should be a matter of concern for us.”
He reiterated that it is premature to make any definitive statements about Bangladesh’s role and added, “With a change in government, the relationship between India and Bangladesh could change.”
General Dwivedi stressed that the current military ties between India and Bangladesh are “very strong,” and there are regular exchanges of notes to avoid confusion or conflict.
On the Pakistan-China alignment, he noted, “We need to be very clear that there is a high degree of collusion, which we have to accept. In the virtual domain, it is nearly 100%, and in the physical domain, most of the equipment comes from China.”
Regarding the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, he mentioned that after a Special Representative-level meeting in December 2024, there had been some improvement.
The Indian Army Chief concluded by highlighting the importance of coexistence, cooperation, and coordination, emphasizing that war is not beneficial for any country and diplomatic solutions should be prioritized.