Srinagar, Feb. 18 -- In South Asia, elections do not stop at borders-they reshape neighbourhoods, alliances and futures. For India, Bangladesh's ballot is not just a political event in Dhaka, but a strategic signal that will echo across its eastern frontier for years to come.

Elections in Bangladesh are never merely a domestic political exercise; they represent a significant regional moment with implications that extend well beyond Dhaka. For India, these elections intersect with critical concerns related to security, regional connectivity, economic integration and the evolving geopolitics of the Bay of Bengal.

Held amid intense political contestation, allegations of democratic backsliding and questions over electoral credibility, the r...