India is rooting for an incumbent as Bangladesh goes to the polls on Monday (Jan. 7).

Current prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who served within the prime job between 1996 and 2001 and was reelected in 2009, is in search of a fourth consecutive time period within the the Muslim-majority nation of 170 million. And whereas it’s made no official endorsement, its neighbor is hoping that the Awami League social gathering chief retains her energy. India, for its half, has loads at stake within the outcomes.

Bangladesh, which shares a border with India on three sides, noticed a lot of its folks migrate to northeastern Indian states like Assam, Mizoram, and West Bengal after its 1971 Independence War—one India helped it win. For half a century, India and Bangladesh have shared historical past, tradition, social buildings, and financial viewpoints. And at present, sustaining relationships between the 2 international locations is essential to the safety of India’s northeastern states.

As Bangladesh’s 2024 election approaches, India has subtly signaled its assist for the present regime.

Bangladesh’s nationwide elections have lengthy been a flashpoint for violence, protests, and accusations of rigged outcomes; of its 11 nationwide elections, just four have been thought of free and truthful. This 12 months, the Awami League’s major opponent, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is boycotting the elections after Hasina refused to simply accept its proposition for a impartial outdoors authorities to supervise the polls. But whereas the US has referred to as upon the prime minister’s social gathering to come back to agreements with the opposition, the world’s largest democracy has gone the other way—signaling assist for the way Hasina’s regime is dealing with issues, and standing by its long-term ally.

Hasina and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi have already got a wholesome working relationship. Over the years, the Hasina administration has helped India clamp down on insurgents, terrorists, and separatists. The two governments have additionally partnered on infrastructure plans: Hasina and Modi have recharged rail connectivity by way of Bangladesh for transport out and in of India’s northeastern states, and Bangladesh permits India to use four of its ports to move items from one Indian state to a different.

Hasina additionally maintains a supportive stance in the direction of the Modi authorities, regardless of factions of the Bangladeshi public protesting against the Indian leader over his alleged involvement in anti-minority practices, from the 2002 Godhra riots the place largely Muslims have been killed to the deteriorating state of human rights or Hindus and Muslims in Jammu & Kashmir.

Bangladesh’s dependence on India, by the digits

$7 billion: Credit India has prolonged to Bangladesh since 2010 for infrastructure and improvement initiatives

54: Rivers Bangladesh and India share, a key supply of water assets

131 km: The pipeline challenge that connects Siliguri, West Bengal, and Parbatipur, Dinajpur, which may transport about 1 million metric tons of diesel from India; 126 km of the pipeline is situated in Bangladesh

$934 million: Value of Bangladesh’s rice imports from India, the most important supply for the nation; Burma was a distant second at $44 million. Dhaka relies on Delhi for essential commodities like rice, sugar, onions, garlic, ginger, and extra.

Quotable: India’s rising friendship with Bangladesh

“PM @narendramodi had productive talks with PM Sheikh Hasina on diversifying the India-Bangladesh bilateral cooperation. They agreed to strengthen ties in host of sectors including connectivity, culture as well as people-to-people ties.”

—Indian prime minister’s office on Sep. 8, 2023, on X