Last Updated:December 18, 2025, 17:25 IST Drawing on testimony from non-governmental experts, the committee said the challenge was no longer existential but had become deeper, structural and long-term. The relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power in Dhaka. (PTI/File) A Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs warned that the evolving political situation in Bangladesh constitutes India’s biggest strategic challenge since 1971, citing the re-emergence of Islamist forces, a shifting domestic political landscape and the growing influence of China and Pakistan. The report, tabled in Parliament by the Shashi Tharoor–chaired panel, draws on testimony from non-governmental experts and government officials, noting that the challenge for India is no longer existential but deeper and long-term in nature. Bangladesh Is India’s Long-Term Strategic Test The committee noted that unlike 1971, the current situation in Bangladesh does not pose an immediate existential threat to India. However, it cautioned that the ongoing political transition and strategic realignment in Dhaka present enduring challenges that could reshape India’s security and …