“Dependence on India” in Imports Has Increased, Exports Decline in One-Sided Trade

Economic Desk

Compared to the last fiscal year, Bangladesh’s imports of Indian goods have significantly increased in January of the current fiscal year. This January, Bangladesh imported 17% more goods than the previous year.

Despite some diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, trade relations have remained largely unaffected. In fact, imports of Indian goods have increased. According to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce, imports in January 2025 increased by 17.27% compared to January 2024. In January this year, Bangladesh imported goods worth approximately 9,374.80 crore Indian rupees from India, compared to 7,999.66 crore Indian rupees in January last year.

Not just in January, but over the past 10 months, imports have also risen. From April 2023 to January 2024, imports from India stood at 76,796.13 crore Indian rupees, which increased to 81,892.53 crore Indian rupees during the same period in the current fiscal year (2024-25).

The list of imports from India has expanded to include potatoes, onions, eggs, and even rice. However, while imports from India have surged, exports have not grown at the same rate and have, in fact, decreased compared to previous levels. Over the past seven months, the trade deficit with India has exceeded $10 billion.

It is particularly noteworthy that Bangladesh’s political landscape has undergone some changes in recent months. After the fall of the Hasina government, there has been much discussion and tension regarding bilateral relations with India. However, towards the end of last year, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Bangladesh to improve relations. Additionally, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Tawhid Hossain recently held a meeting in Muscat, Oman.

“Despite the anti-India sentiment among the public and threats from advisers like Mahfuz Alam to trade with India on equal terms, the reality is quite the opposite. Dependence on India is actually increasing,” said a former secretary.

Although some time ago, the streets of Dhaka were filled with slogans like “Delhi or Dhaka, Dhaka Dhaka” over allegations of sending hilsa fish to India or border tensions, these issues have now completely disappeared. Among the comments of netizens, many are saying, “While the Hasina government tried to reduce dependence on India by trading with other countries, this government seems to be fully dependent on India. Did the Yunus government sell the country to India at a lower price than Hasina?”