Bangladesh is in chaos. Muhammad Yunus has threatened to quit, but is yet to act on his threats. The Army chief, Waker-Uz-Zaman is growing restless. Bangladesh’s constitution requires that national elections must be held within 90 days of government dissolution. So, elections should have ideally been conducted by November last year in Bangladesh. Yet, here we are in the May of 2025 – and there are still no signs of elections being imminent.

Instead of charting a course back to stability, Yunus and his “interim government" seem more focused on narrative control than crisis resolution, adopting a posture of victimhood while deflecting blame for a crisis that is largely self-inflicted. From making ill-informed and provocative statements, such as insinuating that India’s Northeastern states are “landlocked" (a geographical absurdity seemingly designed to needle New Delhi), to recklessly inviting China to expand its strategic footprint into the Bay of Bengal via Bangladesh, Yunus’s regime has systematically alienated its most crucial and historically supportive ally.

Obviously, this has led to a remarkable deterioration in India-Bangladesh ties. Now, India is upping the ante and reminding Dhaka of its strategic vulnerabilities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Alipurduar on Thursday, ostensibly to sound the BJP’s poll bugle for the West Bengal assembly elections, which are now less than a year away. While that is true, one must also recognise that Alipurduar in North Bengal lies in close proximity to the “Chicken Neck" corridor.

The visit comes in the backdrop of India........

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