The aspect of security for India is a very important element of India's policy in the neighborhood, said Pankaj Saran, Convenor of NatStrat, a Delhi-based independent centre for research on strategic and security issues, noting that India is keen to build 'new page' in ties with Bangladesh after elections.

"We have to see how the new government in Bangladesh will manage its relations with China, Pakistan, and the United States, and where India will fit into this," said the expert, who served in key positions within the Government of India in the Prime Minister's Office, the National Security Council Secretariat, the Ministry of External Affairs, and in several Indian Missions abroad.

On the one hand, India has a focus on security for its own interests but on the other hand, what India also wants to do is to ensure that it pursues policies in the neighborhood, minus Pakistan, he said.

"China has borders with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar. So, China's relationship with all these countries also becomes important for us," said Pankaj Saran, a former diplomat with forty years of experience in foreign, strategic, and national security affairs.

He made the remarks during an interaction with a visiting media delegation from Bangladesh at Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS), highlighting India's relations with the South Asian countries and beyond amid changing global scenarios.

Adviser of NatStrat Shantanu Mukharji, President of Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) AKM Moinuddin, and General Secretary Emrul Kayesh were present. The media delegation is on a week-long visit to India from May 3-9.

"So, this world, which we are living in, is a cruel bird. And we should be happy that despite all our difficulties, we have not degenerated to that level of brutality and enmity," Pankaj Saran said.

He said they should only openly pray that they never do it like this. "Despite all the differences, whatever we may have, we should be able to teach Europe and West Asia how to live with each other. That is the most important."

Pankaj Saran, who served as Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, said many countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Myanmar are in a lot of trouble.

He said there are a few countries that are showing a lot of potential for improvement and a lot of promise because of the establishment of democracy.

"Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and even the Maldives - we are seeing that genuine democracy has come to these four countries, and new leaderships have taken over," he said, adding that all four countries are beginning a new journey in their political life.

Pankaj Saran said they are living in a period where there is no contact between India and Pakistan, and diplomatic relations are frozen, with a complete stalemate between India and Pakistan.

With Myanmar, both India and Bangladesh have very similar problems because of the complete breakdown of internal stability, he said.

On Bangladesh, Pankaj Saran said it is remarkable that on the next day after the election, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a congratulatory message to new Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the next day, Tarique Rahman also tweeted back, acknowledging the Indian Prime Minister's congratulatory message.

"This is very different from the atmosphere in the relationship under the Yunus regime. So, India did not waste a moment to express its willingness and desire to open a new page with the new Prime Minister and to recognise the result of the elections in Bangladesh," he said.

The Indian Prime Minister's message was immediate, very friendly, and positive, said the Indian expert.

"There was a phone call. And this has set the stage for finding a new kind of relationship with Bangladesh," Pankaj Saran said.

A few days ago, the Indian government also announced its new High Commissioner - Dinesh Trivedi, a veteran politician. He is the first political appointee since 1971.

"And what it means, basically, is that the Prime Minister personally wants someone to go there to represent him, and who has his full confidence," said Pankaj Saran, adding that he is a seasoned politician with a sense of how to deal with the complicated environment they have in Bangladesh.

"So, these are early days. Your visit is taking place at a good time because the relationship, I think, is building up gradually," he said.

"But all I would say is, regardless of who's in power in Delhi or in Dhaka, this reality can never change. You cannot defy our history, geography, and culture," Pankaj Saran said, noting that the relationship is so deep and so rich.

In the past, Pankaj Saran said, the Bangladesh-India relationship has suffered for many reasons.

"One was security. If you remember, the period from 2001 to 2006 was a period in which the relationship almost broke down because of Indian concerns over the use of Bangladeshi territory for terrorist activities against India in the Northeast, and Bangladesh's denials. So, we were actually stuck," he said.

Pankaj Saran said there was no dialogue taking place at that time - India would say something, but Bangladesh would reject it.

"And the result was that people suffered, everyone suffered, and our initiatives could not move forward," he said.

Actions, Remedies Lie on Both Sides

Bangladesh and India should have a highly developed border management system to manage and control crimes and criminal activities, enabling the legal movement of people and goods, said former Indian diplomat Pankaj Saran, describing the killings along the Bangladesh-India border as 'unfortunate'.

"I don't know what to say, it's unfortunate. These things should not happen at all. We should be honest with ourselves as to why this is happening. The actions and remedies for this lie on both sides - the Bangladesh authorities and Indian authorities," said Pankaj.

He said many protocols have been signed and agreements have been reached between the border forces and the two governments on the issue of managing the border effectively.

"I would say that we should just continue with those efforts. No one will tell you from an official point of view, but the real fact is, and it's unfortunate that a lot of the economy around the border is illegal," said Pankaj, noting that this leads to a 'very dangerous mix' of smuggling, weapons, and crimes and that innocent people are getting caught up in it.

The expert, who served as India's Ambassador to Russia and as Head of the Northern Division in the Ministry of External Affairs dealing with Nepal and Bhutan, said the two countries - Bangladesh and India - have to find a logical way forward, and the first step is to ensure that the relationship between the border guarding forces remains cordial.

"They have the ability to pick up the phone and sort out issues. We cannot go back to the old past where the relationship between the border guarding forces was suspicious that is not going to help in the resolution of the problem," said the former diplomat with 40 years of experience in foreign, strategic and national security affairs, highlighting the importance of using better technologies, communication, cooperation, and understanding on both sides.

Border Security Force (BSF) interacts with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at various levels as per the Joint India-Bangladesh Guidelines-1975, an official told UNB.

Ain o Salish Kendra, a rights organization, says at least 34 Bangladeshis were killed by the BSF in 2025, including 24 in shootings and 10 allegedly due to physical torture. At least 38 others were also injured.

This year, at least five Bangladeshis have been killed by the BSF till May, including three in shootings and two allegedly due to physical torture, while four others were injured.

There is active cooperation among various agencies of both countries working together on police matters, anti-corruption activities, and combating issues such as illicit drug trafficking, fake currency, and human trafficking, among others.

Officials said peaceful and cooperative management mechanisms for the security of the 4,096-km-long international border are actively focused on border fencing, joint inspection of boundary pillars, and joint boundary demarcation, including riverine boundaries, among others.

Other bilateral mechanisms, such as DG-level talks between border guarding forces and DG-level talks between nodal drug control agencies, including at the working level, are held regularly to discuss issues, exchange information, and engage in better coordination.

No Space for Extremist Ideologies

Responding to a question, Pankaj said they have to ensure that they work together in developing societies that are tolerant of each other and that do not give space to 'extremist ideologies' or allow terrorist organisations to operate freely without any oversight.

Highlighting the importance of joint efforts in dealing with issues like terrorism, extremism, radicalisation, illegal migration, and drug trafficking, he said India is basically concerned about not allowing any situation where the past repeats itself.

"And as I said, we have a common interest because of the situation in Myanmar. This is not only a threat to India; it's also a threat to Bangladesh because these regions are out of the control of any central authority," said the Indian expert.

He said both Bangladesh and India have large populations and that jobs must be provided for them. "We have to provide employment to them. We have to educate them, and they can be misled very easily."

On a question about Indian intelligence, Pankaj Saran said every country has an intelligence agency, and India is not the only one. He said the job of every intelligence agency, by definition, is to protect the state and the nation.

"There is always, in every situation, unless you are at war with each other, cooperation between intelligence agencies among nations. Even though you may not be the best of friends, there is always there is a culture and tradition among intelligence agencies of speaking to each other and cooperating with each other," said the former diplomat, adding that the job of an intelligence agency is to try to bridge gaps and bring countries together when all other channels of communication have broken down.

"I think we have to be more mature about it more realistic about looking at these reports and how much of it is true. Some of it could also be a narrative built by India's enemies," he added.

Pankaj said if India has to gather intelligence about Bangladesh, it is very easy to do so. "We understand each other. I don't need an intelligence agent to understand you. You don't need an intelligence agent to understand my country. You know my country perhaps better than I do."