Online published on 29 November, 2012.
Bangladesh, has much in common with India in terms of culture, economics, language, political history and religion. Although India played a major role in the establishment of the independent nation of Bangladesh, New Delhi's relations with Dhaka have been overall neither close nor free from dispute. Following the assassination of its founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rehman in 1975, Bangladesh came under successive military and pseudo-democratic rulers. For the next three decades, relations between the two neighbouring states remained strained, although there was an improvement of ties in the late 1990s. However, much goodwill was lost during 2001–06 when the Bangladesh Nationalist Party was in power. Since the Awami League resumed office in December 2008, various steps have been taken by both governments to strengthen ties. The flurry of activity gives the impression that the two countries are doing their best to optimise bilateral cooperation.
