¹Md Rahatul Mowla Rahat, Student, Department of International Relations, Gopalganj Science and Technology University, Gopalganj-8100, Bangladesh. Email: [email protected], ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1376-2059

²Mahammad Sohel, Student, Department of International Relations, Gopalganj Science and Technology University, Gopalganj-8100, Bangladesh. Email: [email protected], ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4016-4121

³Md. Shadin Prodhan, Student, Department of International Relations, Gopalganj Science and Technology University, Gopalganj-8100, Bangladesh. Email: [email protected], ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5579-506X

Abstract
The July 2024 Revolution was a pivotal chapter in the history of Bangladesh, when a democratic movement led by our students and youths brought down the Sheikh Hasina Regime. In this article, we analyzed the reasons why India, as a neighboring and responsible regional power, remained silent during this critical period. We tried to understand what this silence of India means-neutrality, or strategic stance? To collect and analyze data, this study uses a mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative). Primary data were collected through surveys of 102 student protestors. Additional insights were adopted from local community forums. On the other hand, secondary data were drawn from analyses of 50 national and international news reports, social media content, daily newspapers, journal articles, NGOs, blogs, document reviews, and previous research on student movements and Bangladesh's political history. The findings revealed that India supported the Sheikh Hasina regime in various ways and, at the same time, maintained contacts with the new interim government. Although this dual strategy can be seen as an attempt to protect India’s regional influences, it raised questions about India’s moral standing and the acceptability of its leadership. In our study, we highlighted a reality in which India’s role as a regional power is not limited to its political strategy but should be part of a larger moral responsibility. In this article, we recommend that human rights, justice, democracy, and sensitivity to its neighbors should be given priority in India’s foreign policy in the forthcoming year.

Keywords: July 2024 Revolution, Student Movement, India–Bangladesh Relations, Regional Power Politics, Democratic Transition

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