What do Indians really feel about the environment of hostility against Bangladesh prevailing in India in the wake of last year’s political upheaval when former Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina was overthrown by a popular movement? The perception in Bangladesh is that few notable Indian personalities have spoken objectively on the subject, even in West Bengal, the closest neighbour that shares a common language and cultural heritage with Bangladesh. A notable exception was Kabir Suman, a singer and former parliament member from Jadavpur who took a public position against the anti-Bangladesh narrative and Islamophobia in India.

At a press conference on 4 December 2024, leaders of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist Christian Kalyan Front demanded the cessation of anti-Bangladesh propaganda by Indian media and some religious groups. The chairman of this Front, Bijan Kanti Sarker, urged that relations be built between peoples of the two countries on the basis of common humanity, not religious faith. Eight months ago, before Hasina’s ouster, Bangladesh was regarded by India as a close and trusted ally. But now mainstream political parties including the Congress, Trinamul Congress, CPI-M and even the Naxalites appear influenced by the Hindutva-style narrative on Bangladesh.

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Political parties across the spectrum have adopted the narrative uncritically, which is projected on communications platforms and then magnified by social media, especially Facebook and Instagram. Soon after taking office on 8 August last year, Muhammad Yunus, leader of the Bangladesh interim government, rang Prime Minister Narendra Modi and remarked on the mis-reporting in the Indian media about Bangladesh. He requested Indian........

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