Bangladesh's image rises in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, contrasting picture in India

Bangladesh's image has improved significantly among people in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, whereas the sentiment is quite the opposite in India. According to a recent survey by the US-based research organization Pew Research Center, positive perceptions of Bangladesh are already low in India and have declined further over the past two years. Simultaneously, notable shifts have occurred in the perspectives of Bangladeshis themselves: positive attitudes toward India have decreased, while interest and warmth toward Pakistan have increased.

The survey asked residents of these four South Asian countries about their attitudes toward neighboring nations. The results show that 66 percent of people in Pakistan and 56 percent in Sri Lanka view Bangladesh positively, meaning more than half of the population in both countries holds a favorable opinion. In contrast, only 25 percent of people in India harbor a positive attitude toward Bangladesh.

Analyzing trends over the past two years reveals a similar picture. Compared to 2024, positivity toward Bangladesh increased by 9 percentage points in Sri Lanka, whereas it dropped by 10 percentage points in India.

A shift is also evident in the viewpoints of Bangladeshis. Positive attitudes toward India dropped by 15 percentage points compared to 2024, standing now at 42 percent.

Conversely, support for Pakistan among Bangladeshis has seen a striking increase. While only 40 percent of Bangladeshis viewed Pakistan favorably in 2024, that figure jumped by 14 percentage points over two years to reach 54 percent.

Bangladesh's stance also stood out distinctly on regional security questions. When asked to identify the biggest threat to their respective countries, people in Bangladesh and Pakistan most frequently named India. The opposite picture is observed in Sri Lanka, where 63 percent of the population considers India to be their most crucial ally.

Among the four nations, Sri Lanka holds the most positive overall image. Roughly half of the population in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan views Sri Lanka in a favorable light.

Released on August 13, the comprehensive survey results indicate that public opinion across South Asia regarding Bangladesh has undergone several notable shifts over the past two years—goodwill toward Bangladesh has grown or remained high in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, while heading downward in India. Concurrently, public sentiment within Bangladesh has witnessed declining interest in India alongside growing warmth toward Pakistan.