India's hegemony has often expressed itself in disrespect for the international borders of Bangladesh. In April this year, Bangladesh army had to fight a nine-hour battle in Jamalpur area, bordering West Bengal, using mortars and machine guns to push out the invading Indian troops from its territory. Thousands of Bangladeshi villagers were rendered homeless on account of the Indian aggression. In August, a joint Indian Police task force from Assam and West Bengal intruded 200 kilometers deep into Bangladesh to allegedly recover explosives from a Rajshahi mosque. Incidents of maltreatment of the Muslim minority in India invariably invoke sharp reaction in Bangladesh where people also condemn Indian atrocities in the Kashmir valley. When Vajpayee visited Dhaka in June this year, for instance, a rally in support of the Kashmiri freedom fighters was taken out in the city. The recent protests in Bangladesh prove that India'soverbearing attitude towards its neighbours will continue to evoke strong popular reaction all over the region.