Bangladesh votes Thursday in its first election since a Gen Z-led uprising toppled the country’s India-allied leader in 2024 — a vote with far-reaching geopolitical implications.
The outcome, analysts said, will determine how the populous South Asian nation balances ties with India, China, and the US: Dhaka bolstered ties with China and Pakistan in the last year as relations with India deteriorated. To counter Beijing’s growing influence in Bangladesh, Washington plans to offer the next government alternatives to Chinese military systems, Reuters reported.
The US also lowered tariffs on Bangladesh in a new trade deal this week, a move likely aimed at reducing Dhaka’s imports from China. Bangladesh may be “becoming a new ‘proxy war’ ground,’” Indian outlet The Week suggested.