66% in Pakistan, 56% in Sri Lanka and 25% in India view Bangladesh positively: Pew survey

Bangladesh is viewed more favourably in Pakistan and Sri Lanka than in India, with 66% of Pakistanis and 56% of Sri Lankans holding a positive view of the country, compared with 25% of Indians, according to a Pew Research Centre survey.

Many people also express favourable views of Pakistan in Sri Lanka (57%) and Bangladesh (54%), while 8% in India hold the same view, according to the report made public yesterday (13 August).

Favourable views of Bangladesh have risen by 9 percentage points in Sri Lanka and dropped by 10 points in India since 2024. In both countries, the share of respondents who did not answer decreased by around 10 points, the survey says.

India has the broadest range of favourability among the four South Asian countries, according to the survey.

An overwhelming majority of Sri Lankans express a positive view of India, compared with 42% of Bangladeshis and 7% of Pakistanis.

According to the survey, of the four countries, only Sri Lanka receives more positive than negative ratings in all of the other three countries,.

Favourable views of India have decreased by 15 percentage points in Bangladesh and increased by 14 points in Sri Lanka during the same period. The share of respondents in Bangladesh who did not answer decreased by 17 points.

Asked which country is the most important ally to their own, 63% of Sri Lankans named India.

"Bangladeshis and Pakistanis most often name India as their greatest threat," said the survey.

Respondents in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were also asked how much confidence they have in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do the right thing regarding world affairs. Modi is viewed broadly positively in Sri Lanka.

In Bangladesh, 42% expressed confidence in Modi to do the right thing in world affairs, while only 4% of Pakistanis expressed confidence in him.