India maintained close ties with neighbouring Bangladesh ( formerly East Pakistan ) following the Liberation War . Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman recognized Gandhi 's contributions to the independence of Bangladesh . However , Mujibur Rahman 's pro-India policies antagonised many in Bangladeshi politics and the military , who feared that Bangladesh had become a client state of India . The Assassination of Mujibur Rahman in 1975 led to the establishment of Islamist military regimes that sought to distance the country from India . Gandhi 's relationship with the military regimes was strained , due to her alleged support of anti-Islamist leftist guerrilla forces in Bangladesh . Generally , however , there was a rapprochement between Gandhi and the Bangladeshi regimes , although issues such as border disputes and the Farakka Dam remained an irritant in bilateral ties . In 2011 , the Government of Bangladesh conferred its highest state award posthumously on Gandhi for her " outstanding contribution " to the country 's independence
Assassination of Mujibur Rahman
Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Indira Gandhi