Foreign Policy of Bangladesh and Indo-bangla Relations: an Introduction to Public Images and Attitudes in Relation to State Thoughts and Decisions on Foreign Policy Matters

Bangladesh was born as a new country on the 16th of December, 1971. During the nine-month long war, thousands of people were killed, three million to be exact. Two hundred thousand women and girls lost their virginity. Millions were rendered homeless and the economy of the country was totally destroyed. The overall experience generated in Bangladesh a kind of unusual unity concerning its different state of affairs. They included foreign affairs in the most effective form. India helped with all possible means, beginning from humanitarian to military help. They gave shelter to ten million refugees and provided them with food and other necessary facilities for long nine months. Diplomatic efforts were taken vigorously by India. Soon after the war of liberation, a kind of friendliness existed between the two countries and their people. The people were also generally grateful to India and her people for their help and support. But soon the concept of goodwill and friendliness registered a sharp decline. The hard realities of social and political life came in their way and disturbed the total set up. This particular work attempts to focus on the abstract problems and potentialities.