India has shifted its diplomatic posture toward Bangladesh, now explicitly seeking reciprocity in bilateral ties as Dhaka intensifies pressure for the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently sheltering in India. Bangladesh's acting Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has no plans to visit India bilaterally. The relationship, once anchored by strong India-Hasina ties, is under strain following Hasina's ouster in August 2024 amid mass protests that brought Muhammad Yunus's interim government to power.

India-Bangladesh relations have historically been among South Asia's most consequential bilateral partnerships, underpinned by the 1971 Liberation War in which India played a decisive military role. The relationship deepened under Sheikh Hasina's governments (1996–2001, 2009–2024), with cooperation across connectivity, trade, energy, and security — particularly counter-insurgency coordination against Northeast India-based groups operating from Bangladeshi territory.

Hasina's forced removal in August 2024, following student-led mass protests, fundamentally altered the strategic calculus. The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government represents a constituency historically less aligned with India, with voices within it sympathetic to Pakistan and skeptical of Indian influence. Bangladesh's demand for Hasina's extradition forces India into an uncomfortable position: extraditing her risks appearing to abandon a long-time partner; refusing risks deepening the diplomatic rift.

India's pivot to a 'reciprocity' framework is significant. It signals a departure from the asymmetric goodwill India extended under Hasina — where India made concessions on transit, water-sharing, and connectivity — toward a transactional posture that conditions cooperation on equivalent returns. This mirrors India's recalibrated 'Neighbourhood First' policy, which increasingly demands demonstrable alignment from smaller neighbours rather than unconditional strategic generosity.

For UPSC, the key testable dimensions are: India's 1971 role, the bilateral treaty architecture (Land Boundary Agreement 2015, Teesta water dispute), connectivity corridors, and the strategic implications of Chinese influence expanding in Bangladesh amid the diplomatic chill.