Now Reading: India loses ground as Bangladesh, Myanmar drift from its orbit
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India loses ground as Bangladesh, Myanmar drift from its orbit
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…
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.
Source: scmp.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
