# India loses ground as Bangladesh, Myanmar drift from its orbit 2026-08-24T18:01:46+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Bangladesh and Myanmar are drifting away from India's influence, handing advantages to regional rivals Pakistan and China, analysts say. Dhaka has moved closer to Islamabad since Sheikh Hasina's ouster in 2024, while Beijing has maintained its sway in Myanmar after the 2021 coup. Bangladesh's general election is set for February 12. Myanmar is holding multi-phase polls. Sreeradha Datta of OP Jindal Global University said India faces greater complications with Myanmar, as civil society wants deeper Indian engagement to counter China, a difficult goal. The realignments follow India's long-standing disputes with Pakistan and China. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Bangladesh has been India's closest South Asian neighbour under Hasina, who suppressed Islamist groups and gave India transit and energy access. Her successor has signalled a reset, and a February election could institutionalise that tilt. For Myanmar, India has long balanced engagement with the junta against ties with pro-democracy forces, but the junta's dependence on Chinese arms and infrastructure gives Beijing a structural advantage India cannot easily match. The outcome for India hinges on whether Bangladesh's next government sustains the new distance and whether Myanmar's polls produce any shift in Naypyidaw's alignment. ## Coverage - scmp.com Reports analysts' views without adopting a position on India's policy This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sheikh Hasina Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-loses-ground-as-bangladesh-myanmar-drift-from-its-orbit/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-loses-ground-as-bangladesh-myanmar-drift-from-its-orbit/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/