India’s Perception of Bangladesh and Indo-Bangladesh Relations: Examining the Internal Dynamics in India Smruti S. Pattanaik Perceptions play a significant role in shaping foreign policy though real politics defined by geo-politics and geo-economics determines the contour of any bilateral relationship. However, role of perception in foreign policy cannot be underplayed. Perceptions in general are shaped by events, country’s posture towards a particular issue. Popular perceptions find place in television drama, day-to-day conversation between people and crossing the border. Stringent visa regime and hurdles placed to cross the border also strengthen the imagination of the self and the other. Many factors shape this perception; textbooks in South Asia also carefully nurture perception about state, people and community. While perception is important component of how the narrative is structured and disseminated, in the era of globalisation, migration of people in search of better opportunity, exchange of ideas, barriers posed by perception are breaking. India’s perception of Bangladesh as a neighbour, its geo-strategic location and its place in India’s strategic planning plays a significant role in determining India’s policy towards Bangladesh. At the same time, the close sociocultural affinity between the people of the two countries and the long and porous border that impinges on the daily transaction between the closely connected people generate both friendship and misgiving about each other. Most importantly, India’s contribution to the war of liberation of Bangladesh has a huge influence on its relations with Dhaka. In India, perception varies. While the decision-makers in Delhi perceive Bangladesh from a national security perspective or see it as a gateway of connectivity to the region beyond, the Border States look at Bangladesh as economic opportunity and a country that can unburden their landlocked status. Interestingly, in the case of India, Border States also play important role in shaping New Delhi’s perception. Each of the Border States has different perception of Bangladesh that ranges from perceiving it as a threat to a land of economic opportunity. S. S. Pattanaik (B ) Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi, India e-mail: smrutispattanaik@gmail.com © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019 A. Ranjan (ed.), India in South Asia, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2020-0_2 19