Relations between India and Bangladesh are entering one of their most fragile phases in decades, not because of a single diplomatic dispute but due to the dangerous interaction of street violence, political uncertainty, and hardening narratives on both sides of the border. What is unfolding is less a breakdown of policy than a collapse of trust. The immediate spark has been a brutal killing during protests in Bangladesh, an act that has resonated deeply in India because it touches raw concerns about minority safety. Yet, focusing only on that horror risks missing the larger picture.

Bangladesh is in the middle of a profound political transition following the fall of Sheikh Hasina, and transitions create vacuums. Into that vacuum have stepped radical groups, opportunistic actors and unrestrained street politics that thrives on grievance rather than governance. For India, the instinctive response has been moral outrage mixed with political mobilisation. That is understandable. No democracy can remain unmoved........

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