Editing Bengal (section)

== Politics ==
Today, the region of Bengal proper is divided between the [[sovereign state]] of the [[Bangladesh|People's Republic of Bangladesh]] and the [[States and union territories of India|Indian state]] of [[West Bengal]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Bengal-region-Asia |title=Bengal {{pipe}} region, Asia |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |date=16 June 2023}}</ref> The Bengali-speaking [[Barak Valley]] forms part of the Indian state of [[Assam]]. The Indian state of [[Tripura]] has a Bengali-speaking majority and was formerly the princely state of [[Hill Tipperah]]. In the Bay of Bengal, [[St. Martin's Island]] is governed by Bangladesh; while the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] has a plurality of Bengali speakers and is governed by India's federal government as a [[union territory]].

=== Bangladeshi Republic ===
{{Main|Politics of Bangladesh}}
[[File:রাতের বেলায় বঙ্গভবনের সৌন্দর্য্য! 02.jpg|thumb|[[Bangabhaban]] (the ''House of Bengal'') is the [[presidential palace]] of Bangladesh|331x331px]]
The state of Bangladesh is a [[parliamentary republic]] based on the [[Westminster system]], with a [[Constitution of Bangladesh|written constitution]] and a [[President of Bangladesh|President]] elected by parliament for mostly ceremonial purposes. The [[Government of Bangladesh|government]] is headed by a Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President from among the popularly elected 300 Members of Parliament in the [[Jatiyo Sangshad]], the national parliament. The Prime Minister is traditionally the leader of the single largest party in the Jatiyo Sangshad. Under the constitution, while recognising [[Islam]] as the country's [[established religion]], the constitution grants [[freedom of religion]] to non-Muslims.

Between 1975 and 1990, Bangladesh had a [[presidential system]] of government. Since the 1990s, it was administered by non-political technocratic [[Caretaker government of Bangladesh|caretaker governments]] on four occasions, the last being under military-backed emergency rule in 2007 and 2008. The [[Awami League]] and the [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]] (BNP) were the two most dominant political parties in Bangladesh until the [[July Revolution (Bangladesh)| July Revolution]] of 2024, which led to the ousting of [[Sheikh Hasina]] following mass protests and a nationwide uprising. In the aftermath, a non-partisan [[Yunus Ministry| interim government]] was formed under Nobel laureate [[Muhammad Yunus]] to restore democratic governance and oversee institutional reforms. Much like the technocratic caretaker governments between 1990 and 2008, this interim administration pledged neutrality and began preparations for constitutional changes and future elections.

Bangladesh is a member of the [[United Nations|UN]], [[World Trade Organization|WTO]], [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]], the [[World Bank]], [[Asian Development Bank|ADB]], [[Organization of Islamic Cooperation|OIC]], [[Islamic Development Bank|IDB]], [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation|SAARC]], [[Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation|BIMSTEC]] and the [[Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition|IMCTC]]. Bangladesh has achieved significant strides in [[List of countries by Human Development Index|human development]] compared to its neighbours.

=== Indian Bengal ===
{{Main|Politics of West Bengal}}
[[File:Writer's Building (14839639795).jpg|thumb|[[Writers' Building]], the official seat of the [[Government of West Bengal]]|328x328px]]
West Bengal is a constituent state of the [[India|Republic of India]], with local [[State governments of India|executives]] and [[Vidhan Sabha|assemblies]]- features shared with other states in the Indian federal system. The [[president of India]] appoints a governor as the ceremonial representative of the [[Government of India|union government]]. The governor appoints the [[chief minister]] on the nomination of the legislative assembly. The chief minister is the traditionally the leader of the party or coalition with most seats in the assembly. [[President's rule]] is often imposed in Indian states as a direct intervention of the union government led by the [[prime minister of India]]. The Bengali-speaking zone of India carries 48 seats in the lower house of India, [[Lok Sabha]].

Each state has popularly elected members in the Indian lower house of parliament, the [[Lok Sabha]]. Each state nominates members to the Indian upper house of parliament, the [[Rajya Sabha]].

The state legislative assemblies also play a key role in electing the ceremonial president of India. The former president of India, [[Pranab Mukherjee]], was a native of West Bengal and a leader of the [[Indian National Congress]]. The current [[Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha|leader of opposition]] of India, [[Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury]] is from [[West Bengal]]. He has been elected from [[Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency]].

The major political forces in the Bengali-speaking zone of India are the [[Left Front (West Bengal)|Left Front]] and the [[Trinamool Congress]], the [[Indian National Congress]] and the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]. The Bengali-speaking zone of India is considered stronghold for [[Communism in India]]. Bengalis are known not to vote on communal lines but in recent years this conception has how changed.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pirzada-abbas-siddiqui-announces-indian-secular-front-isf-for-bengal-elections-2356170 |title="Want to be Kingmaker": Muslim Preacher Announces Party for Bengal Polls |publisher=NDTV}}</ref> The [[West Bengal]] based [[Trinamool Congress]] is now the third largest party of India in terms of number of MP or MLA after the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] and the [[Indian National Congress]]. Earlier the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] held this position.

=== Crossborder relations ===
{{Main|Bangladesh-India relations|Indians in Bangladesh|Bangladeshis in India}}
[[File:Inauguration of the first edition of the lN-BN CORPAT (01).jpg|thumb|A meeting between the naval commanders of India and Bangladesh|311x311px]]
India and Bangladesh are the world's first and eighth most populous countries respectively. [[Bangladesh-India relations]] began on a high note in 1971 when India played a major role in the [[liberation of Bangladesh]], with the Indian Bengali populace and media providing overwhelming support to the independence movement in the former East Pakistan. The two countries had a twenty five-year friendship treaty between 1972 and 1996. However, differences over river sharing, border security and access to trade have long plagued the relationship. In more recent years, a consensus has evolved in both countries on the importance of developing good relations, as well as a strategic partnership in South Asia and beyond. Commercial, cultural and defence co-operation have expanded since 2010, when Prime Ministers [[Sheikh Hasina]] and [[Manmohan Singh]] pledged to reinvigorate ties.

The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi operates a Deputy High Commission in [[Kolkata]] and a consular office in [[Agartala]]. India has a High Commission in [[Dhaka]] with consulates in [[Chittagong]] and [[Rajshahi]]. Frequent international air, bus and rail services connect major cities in Bangladesh and Indian Bengal, particularly the three largest cities- Dhaka, Kolkata and Chittagong. Undocumented immigration of Bangladeshi workers is a controversial issue championed by right-wing nationalist parties in India but finds little sympathy in West Bengal.<ref name=natwarspeech>{{cite web |url=http://www.mea.gov.in/incoming-visit-detail.htm |title=Address by External Affairs Minister Shri Natwar Singh at India-Bangladesh Dialogue Organised by Centre for Policy Dialogue and India International Centre |date=7 August 2005 |website=Speeches |publisher=Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi |access-date=28 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505224301/http://www.mea.gov.in/incoming-visit-detail.htm?2663 |archive-date=5 May 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> India has since fenced the border which has been criticised by Bangladesh.<ref name=migrHindu>{{cite magazine |last=Chattopadhyay |first=S. S. |date=June 2007 |title=Constant traffic |magazine=Frontline |volume=24 |issue=11 |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2411/stories/20070615003701400.htm |access-date=26 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417025216/http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2411/stories/20070615003701400.htm |archive-date=17 April 2008 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>