Both India and Bangladesh are scheduled to hold general elections early 2024. The two neighboring countries, that share a cordial bond with each other, enjoy the reputation of being rising powers in the Asian continent. Political and economic stability of each of the two countries is essential for the growth of the other. In fact, the ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh doesn't augur well for the stability of the overall region. Sheikh Hasina's Awami League (AL) has been in power since 2009. The ruling party has been pedaling its development narrative, and claims to have placed Bangladesh firmly on the global firmament. The optics around Bangladesh's socio-economic standing has indeed improved a great deal over the past decade. These claims have, however, been thwarted by the protesting Bangladeshi National Party (BNP) members. The heated protest in the country is premised largely on two aspects — economic distress including soaring fuel prices and the rising cost of living, along with repressive governance. On the economic front, thanks to the Russian war in Ukraine, the fuel prices are reported to have increased by 40-50 per cent — creating a spillover effect on the prices of daily essentials like edible oils, rice, eggs and vegetables. The war has also made the country's exports to decline significantly. Forex reserve of Bangladesh is reported to have alarmingly come down to USD 26.3 billion from USD 45.5 billion over the past year. Under such a circumstance, the remittances from foreign countries have also gone down significantly, shrinking the depth of government's coffers. The opposition's allegations may not completely be out of place. At a time when the entire world is struggling, if Bangladesh is not an exception, then it should not come as a matter of shock. The country's governance may have stumbled in the wake of the war and other factors, but does that create a sense of urgency? How justified is the demand for Hasina's resignation and preponement of election is a related question. However, the BNP's allegations of authoritative rule under Hasina merit prompt consideration. The very fact that the principal opposition party of the country had to sit out of elections in 2014 and 2018, delegitimizes the credibility of the incumbent government. The BNP's conviction that "no election under the incumbent government will be fair or credible" is a slap on the face of the government. BNP's claim that 1,80,000 legal cases have been filed against four million of its members over the last decade is horrifying. It may be noted that the conviction of party chief Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman in a "politically motivated" case has already crippled the opposition beyond repair. Furthermore, ahead of the protests getting intensified, other chief whips of the party were also arrested. The party has even alleged large-scale abduction and extrajudicial killings of its members. All these allegations are very grave, and don't reflect well for a country that aspires and strives to set its foothold on the global stage. As many as 15 embassies of Western countries have issued a joint statement calling upon Bangladesh to allow free expression, peaceful assembly and fair elections. The United States, too, has asked the concerned entities to refrain from intimidation and inter-party violence. Needless to say, that the ongoing episode has brought about a lot of disrepute to the country. More importantly, it has raised disturbing questions about the treatment of Bangladeshi people by its government. If the issues raised by the BNP find resonance among the people, the government should not endeavor to suppress those. While the recuperation of the ailing economy might be a long battle, the government, in immediate terms, should be honest and try to take the people and the opposition in confidence. Bangladesh's government needs to restore order in the country and safeguard its global image, simultaneously. India should also have a close eye on the situation as, more or less, its growth story is tied with that of Bangladesh.