Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina secured a fourth consecutive term in power earlier this year, with her Awami League party taking three-quarters of seats in parliament following what some observers regard as a controversial election.
The vote was conducted by keeping almost all top leaders of the main opposition party and over 25,000 of its activists behind bars who were arrested in the run-up to the election on various charges — including arson attacks and vandalism — that some independent observers think were politically motivated.
However, Bangladesh's neighbor, India, welcomed the election result, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulating Sheikh Hasina on her victory.
"We are committed to further strengthen our enduring and people-centric partnership with Bangladesh," Modi wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after the result was announced.
India shares a 4,100-kilometer-long (2,500-mile) border with Bangladesh. Bilateral trade between the countries exceeded $15 billion (€13.71 billion) in 2021-22.
A group of Bangladeshi influencers and political activists launched an "India out" campaign after the January elections, claiming that the Modi government has not only been ignoring its neighbor's democratic backsliding but also actively backing Sheikh Hasina to stay in power for its own self-interest.
Pinaki Bhattacharya, an exiled Bangladeshi physician and influential social media activist living in Paris, announced the latest "India........