Tarique endangers India's security. Should Delhi weaponise water? | Amb Veena Sikri | PratimBose 288

Tarique Rahman's BNP government is opening the door to China at India's most sensitive frontier — the Siliguri Corridor. As Beijing fast-tracks the Teesta River project and deepens its footprint near Bangladesh's border with India's northeast, is Dhaka replicating Pakistan's China-US balancing playbook to reduce dependence on Delhi? Former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Veena Sikri joins Pratim Ranjan Bose to unpack the geopolitics, the security stakes, and India's possible countermoves. In this episode: Why Tarique Rahman's outreach to China on Teesta River management alarms Indian strategic planners The Siliguri Corridor ("Chicken's Neck") — India's most vulnerable link to its northeast — and why Chinese-backed infrastructure nearby raises red flags How China's "Community with a Shared Future" push with Bangladesh compares to its strategy in Pakistan The US "G2" approach to South Asia and whether it strengthens Dhaka's hand against Delhi Can India use the Ganga Water Treaty renewal (due December 2026) and Teesta water-sharing as diplomatic leverage? What genuine India-Bangladesh reset would require after a turbulent post-Hasina period India's options: engagement, deterrence, or both? About the Guest: Veena Sikri is a former Indian diplomat and academic who served as India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh (2003–2006) — the only woman to hold that post — and earlier as Ambassador to Malaysia. A career Indian Foreign Service officer for 37 years, she is a leading voice on South Asian diplomacy and India-Bangladesh relations. About the Host: Pratim Ranjan Bose is a media commentator, researcher, newspaper columnist, and national TV panelist covering South Asian geopolitics, Indian politics, and current affairs. 🌐 Website: https://pratimbose.com/ 📰 Articles: https://muckrack.com/pratim-ranjan-bose 🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/pratimbose 📘 Facebook:   / podcastwithpratim   📸 Instagram:   / pratimranjanbose   💼 LinkedIn:   / pratim-bose-42405124   ▶️ YouTube:    / @podcastwithpratim   ✉️ Email: [email protected] 👉 Subscribe to Podcast With Pratim for weekly deep-dives into South Asian geopolitics, Indian foreign policy, and current affairs. 💬 Share your view in the comments: Should India play the water card against Bangladesh, or is engagement the smarter path? #IndiaBangladesh #TariqueRahman #SiliguriCorridor #TeestaRiver #GangaWaterTreaty #BNP #ChinaBangladesh #IndianForeignPolicy #SouthAsiaGeopolitics #VeenaSikri #PodcastWithPratim #IndiaChina #NortheastIndia #Geopolitics2026 #BangladeshPolitics