Dhaka, Dec. 23 -- A Relationship Under StrainBangladesh-India relations stand at a delicate crossroads, shaped by the interaction of historical memory, political transition, and evolving public expectations.

Recent controversies-most notably surrounding India's Victory Day message in 2026-may appear, at first glance, to concern matters of diplomatic phrasing or symbolic emphasis.

Yet the intensity of the reaction they provoked in Bangladesh suggests something more consequential: the surfacing of long-standing anxieties over recognition, agency, and balance within an inherently asymmetrical bilateral relationship.

The Victory Day episode, in which India's Prime Minister highlighted India's military victory over Pakistan without explicit...