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This paper aims to describe the role of India, the biggest neighbor of Bangladesh, and the outmost support of the Soviet Union in the emergence of Bangladesh as an Independent State. The paper describes the background of the Bangladesh’s Liberation war in 1971. The political situation in East Pakistan just before the crisis is described in details, especially the results of general elections which were held in December 1970. A central part of the article is dedicated to the role of India and the contribution of Indian people, government and armed forces. Almost 10 million men and women were forced to leave Bangladesh and entered various states of India like West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where they were accommodated as refugees. The personal implication of Indira Gandhi was very high, she traveled around the world to gather support for the Bangladesh cause. India spent thousand of rupees for the liberation war of Bangladesh; but also sacrificed the lives of its officers and soldiers. Moreover, the paper touches upon the USSR’s involvement into the Liberation war of Bangladesh in context of Soviet-American rivalry during cold war.

The article presents an overview of Bangladesh’s foreign policy. It analyzes the main directions of Bangladesh’s cooperation with its leading partners. The author studies the changing pattern of Bangladesh’s foreign policy since it gained its independence in 1971 till the present. He focuses on the changing pattern of foreign policy of Bangladesh regarding bilateral relation with Russia during different regimes under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Sheikh Mujib), General Ziaur Rahman (Zia), General H.M. Ershad (Ershad), Khaleda Zia, Sheikh Hasina and the Caretaker Government. The author seeks to link the domestic changes in the country in 1970-2000-ies, namely the change of governments and regimes, with the adjustment of the foreign policy priorities, including relations with Russia. The article shows dependence of Bangladesh’s foreign policy priorities on interests of successive power political forces.