Bangladeshi analysts also point out that allegations of nonsense against Bangladesh during the Indian state elections in West Bengal by Hindu-nationalist politicians are sending mixed signals to Dhaka.
“All these things became very visible and created public discontent in Bangladesh which in some way reflected Dhaka’s thought process,” said Humayun Kabir, a former Bangladeshi diplomat.
“The Bangladeshi government did not look at these problems or the positive indicators,” he adds.
In May, the Hindu nationalist BJP ousted the regional Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, ending its nearly 16-year rule in the region bordering Bangladesh. West Bengal and Bangladesh share linguistic, cultural and ethnic ties.
Any Chinese role in managing the Teesta River is a serious security issue for India.
The river is shared by India and Bangladesh, whose efforts to reach a water-sharing agreement have stalled for years. During Rahman’s visit to Beijing, Bangladesh said the two sides agreed to conduct a joint study on river management.
Experts say that the river needs to be drained, desiling and measures to restore its flow for agriculture.
“Any Chinese involvement in any project near our border will always be a matter of concern. So, we certainly will not be happy about that,” said Saran.
India and China have a decades-long border dispute. A brief war in 1962 ended in a humiliating defeat for India, and recent border disputes have claimed lives on both sides.
Any Chinese role in the project would bring it closer to the all-important Siliguri Corridor, or “Chicken’s Neck” – a 22-kilometer (14-mile) line that connects the Indian state with its seven northeastern states.
Bangladeshi officials say previous governments also invited India to join the Teesta project, but Delhi took too long to decide. They say China has the technology and financial resources to deliver a project of this scale.
Beijing intervened to allay India’s concerns.
“I would like to emphasize that China-Bangladesh cooperation does not target a third party and should be free from the influence of a third party,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing during Rahman’s recent visit.
China is already Bangladesh’s largest defense supplier, accounting for more than 70% of its arms imports. Dhaka also owes Beijing more than $6bn (£4.5bn).
During Rahman’s visit, China also proposed the development of the China-Myanmar-Bangladesh Economic Corridor – which connects China’s Yunnan province with the two countries.
India has long considered South Asia as its sphere of influence, but China has gradually expanded its footprint in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
India’s efforts to rebuild relations with Bangladesh’s new government have been hampered by the continued presence in Delhi of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who Dhaka has said she wants back from her country.
Hasina was convicted of crimes against humanity in connection with the crackdown on student-led protests that left hundreds dead. He pleaded not guilty and was sentenced to death by a special panel last year.
“As long as Hasina is in Delhi, it may be politically difficult for Rahman to come to India,” Saran said.
But some experts say Rahman may still visit Delhi as India remains too important a neighbor – economically and strategically – for Dhaka to ignore him.
India, too, knows that a stable relationship with Bangladesh is essential for security in its northeast, where several different ethnic groups operate.
For Rahman, balancing Dhaka’s relationship with the two regional powers will be a delicate balancing act.
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