The Geostrategic Importance of Bangladesh from the Perspective of India's Foreign Policy

This master's thesis sets out to interpret relations of India and Bangladesh and the course of their foreign policies in the light of geographical, geopolitical, demographic, and other realities and new paradigms, which determine forming of their mutual relations. The aim of this thesis is to highlight the geostrategic significance of Bangladesh for India and for the development of the surrounding region. This thesis also portrays the historical role of India in the emergence of Bangladesh and their relations since 1971 until today. It also deals with the key areas of Indian foreign and security policy towards Bangladesh, including economic cooperation, cooperation in the area of defence, legal and illegal migration, local and regional connectivity, energy, and water management. Given the topicality of the subject matter, this thesis draws information primarily from official documents published by governmental agencies, research institutes and think tanks, as well as from publicly accessible agreements, memorandums, arrangements, joint statements, press releases and other reliable sources. To a limited extent, it also sources Indian, Bangladeshi, and other media. Keywords: India, Bangladesh, India-Bangladesh Relations, South Asia, Indian Subcontinent, Neighbourhood First Policy, Foreign Polic