Strategic Narratives of Political Transition: Indian Media and the Geopolitics of Post-Hasina Bangladesh

Abstract

This study examines the Indian press and how it framed Bangladesh’s political transition after the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024. Using framing theory and strategic narrative theory, the article analyses how Indian newspapers interpret Bangladesh’s political upheaval and embed it within India’s broader geopolitical narratives. The study analyses news reports, editorials, interviews, and opinion pieces using a qualitative research approach, integrating framing and strategic narrative theories, drawing on articles published in three major English-language newspapers: The Times of India, The Indian Express, and The Hindu, between August 6, 2024, and September 5, 2024. The findings identify three dominant frames: Bangladesh’s instability, minority vulnerability in Bangladesh, and India’s geopolitical competition. These collectively contribute to the construction of strategic narratives across system, identity, and policy dimensions. At the system level, Bangladesh is portrayed as politically unstable and geopolitically contested. At the identity level, India is depicted as a responsible regional power concerned with its own security and the minorities of its neighbours, particularly Hindus. At the policy level, media discourses legitimise heightened vigilance, border management, and cautious diplomatic engagement. The study shows how domestic media coverage of political upheavals in neighbouring states helps shape geopolitical meaning and regional order by linking micro-level news frames with broader strategic narratives. The findings enhance understanding of how regional power media interpret and narrate cross-border political transitions in South Asia.