On the walls of Dhaka University, a slogan captures the political mood: “Delhi na Dhaka? Dhaka Dhaka.” The graffiti highlights the question — should it be Delhi [ruling] or Dhaka [ruling]?

The chant, which gained prominence during the July 2024 uprising that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, targeted her government, accusing it of maintaining power with support from India.

With Ms. Hasina’s party, the Awami League, barred from contesting the February 12 election, the slogan and the sentiment behind it remain potent and have now been deployed as both shield and sword on the electoral battlefield.

As Bangladesh heads into a landmark election, anti-India sentiment is reshaping political discourse.

Out of race

With the historically dominant and India-friendly Awami League out of the race, the two main contenders, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami alliance, are locked in a fierce contest to weaponise “pro-India” sentiments, using it to discredit rivals before an electorate deeply disillusioned with what many see as decades of excessive Indian influence. Bijoy Talukder, an employee at a Dhaka-based consultancy firm who actively participated in the uprising and is voting for the first time, said the slogan helped unite protesters against the Awami League.

“We believe the party managed to stay in power with India’s all-out support. Now, in this election, major parties are accusing each other of being pro-Indian because they believe this label can still win or lose votes,” he said. “This slogan truly united us during the uprising. It was one of the most powerful chants against Sheikh Hasina.”

Political analysts say that being perceived as “pro-Indian” has become a political liability in Bangladesh.

While parties continue to pledge cordial relations with neighbouring countries, including India, they are simultaneously eager to portray rivals as aligned with New Delhi, calculating that such an image would hurt them among voters.

Dependent on Delhi

Ahsanul Mahbub Jubair, a central committee member of the National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by student leaders who spearheaded the uprising, told The Hindu Ms. Hasina’s administration was defined by exceptionally close ties with India across security, trade and transit.

“People believe she subordinated national interests to India. Her fall and subsequent flight to India reinforced this perception. India’s refusal to extradite her, despite the leader receiving a death penalty from a domestic war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh, has turned her into a living symbol of Indian interference,” he said.

“Most people believe India does not want what is best for Bangladesh,” he added.

“Sheikh Hasina stayed in power through three disputed elections with India’s support. Any party that takes decisions against Bangladesh’s interests will now be branded pro-Indian.”

The NCP leader, whose party has formed an electoral alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party, alleged that India is now attempting to cultivate ties with the BNP as an alternative to the Awami League. “With the Awami League gone, India wants to fill that vacuum,” he said. “That is why this discourse remains central to the election.”

Anti-Indian sentiment continues to shape campaign rhetoric across the country. Platforms that emerged after the uprising frequently invoke the slogan at rallies, often alongside leaders of major political parties.

The BNP and Jamaat are engaged in an intense contest of nationalist one-upmanship, each accusing the other of inheriting what they call the Awami League’s “Delhi-dependent politics”.

As polling day approaches, Jamaat-e-Islami, historically closer to Pakistan, which long opposed Ms. Hasina’s rule, has repositioned itself as a defender of Bangladeshi sovereignty. Its manifesto emphasises mutual respect and equal dignity in foreign relations, pointedly rejecting any special status for India. Its campaign subtly suggests that a BNP-led government would continue Ms. Hasina’s India-centric foreign policy.

On the other hand, the BNP, traditionally viewed as a centrist party, is treading carefully. Its manifesto promises an independent and balanced foreign policy, while party supporters frequently counter Jamaat’s allegations by highlighting its controversial role during the 1971 Liberation War, when it sided with Pakistan.

Take a page from India

M. Zakaria, an author and political analyst, said that even after the Awami League turned into an abandoned entity in Bangladeshi politics, the practice of blaming each other as pro-Indian remains.

This has turned into common rhetoric among the parties. The core reason behind this is the lack of careful nurturing of the people-to-people contact between the two neighbouring states, he said.

“Ironically, this has now turned into an obsession among Bangladeshi youth, becoming a tool for othering. One group in Bangladesh labels the other as ‘pro-Indian’ to engage in divisive politics,” Mr. Zakariah said. “In India too, we see anyone with opposing political views often being labelled as ‘Pakistani’ or ‘Bangladeshi’ and threatened with expulsion from the country. The phenomenon in Bangladesh is simply a reaction to that”.

Published – February 11, 2026 12:38 am IST

The Awami League, led by deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, remains banned and will not be allowed to participate in the February 2026 elections. File.
| Photo Credit: AFP