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Friends first: despite some turbulence, Indo-Bangladesh ties have been warm
Fifty years ago, a 25-year treaty of friendship and cooperation between their two countries had solidified the links that India and Bangladesh had forged in the course of the Bangladesh War of Liberation in 1971.
Significance of Indo-Bangladesh relations
Economic Relations
Challenges in Indo-Bangladesh relations
- Bangladesh is pivotal to India’s Act East policy and lies at the heart of India’s economic and strategic interests.
- Dhaka’s economic prosperity, improvement in key metrics of human development political and policy stability and its shift away from fundamentalism towards a secular outlook present India with the opportunity to focus on its own developmental priorities.
- It will drive New Delhi’s push for geo-economic integration of the Bay of Bengal region and presents India with a chance to better exploit the shared maritime space and geography.
- The bilateral ties have seen multi-dimensional progress from cooperation in the power and energy sector, infrastructure building, collaboration in technology to upgradation of trade, commerce, transport, multi-modal connectivity.
- It is the result of a gradual policy shift by both sides to reimagine ties as an economically congruent regional space aided by trade and connectivity.
- The Bangladesh PM’s offer of the airports of Chittagong, Sylhet and Saidpur in northern Bangladesh to neighbouring areas in India is extremely significant with a host of positive consequences for the region.
- It would be up to India to ensure that the offer is followed up by both countries in terms of the necessary infrastructure being put in place.
- Ratification of Land Boundary Agreement: It has earned the appreciation of Bangladeshis and with that comes the other reality of the Indian and Bangladesh governments cracking down on terrorism.
- The Bangladesh government has ensured that no militant outfit finds space in Bangladesh or engages in subversive activities against Delhi from Bangladesh’s territory.
- The inauguration of the Chilahati-Haldibari railway link has been a significant move in enhancing connectivity between the countries.
- Bangladesh’s strong stand against religious militancy and terrorism has resonated with policy makers in Delhi and vice versa.
- Dhaka’s centrality to India’s regional outlook is key not only for India realising its own interests but also for larger regional imperatives.
Challenges in Indo-Bangladesh relations
- Issues related to water resources remain unattended: The Indo-Bangladesh pact find no mention of the lack of movement by one side or the other with regard to Feni, Kushiyara, etc.
- The failure of Dhaka and Delhi to reach a deal on an equitable sharing of the river Teesta’s waters remains a major concern.
- Increased cross-border conflicts: The major concern for Bangladeshis has to do with the killings of their compatriots by India’s Border Security Force along the frontier between the two countries.
- Big brother attitude in Indian political system: While Indian leaders do not exactly suffer from a foot-in-the-mouth syndrome while referring to the country’s Eastern neighbour, the big brotherly attitude unconsciously adopted by some people within the Indian political spectrum creates problems.
- Unkept promises cause mistrust: In September 2020, Bangladesh asked India to resume onion exports to the country, after New Delhi abruptly slapped a ban on exports.
- The export ban has led the onion prices in Bangladesh jumped by more than 50%,prompting the government to procure supplies from elsewhere and provide onions at subsidized rates.
- China vies for Bangladesh's attention: While India strives to resolve the Teesta issue with Bangladesh, China stepped in and offered $1 billion (€830 million) to Bangladesh for an irrigation project on the river.
- Bangladesh’s interest in involving road links: It is suggested by Bangladesh that it should be provided with additional road connectivity to Nepal and rail to Bhutan.
- Bangladesh has also expressed an interest in being involved in road links between India and Myanmar and Thailand.
- Exponential growth in trade between India and Bangladesh: A World Bank study has projected exponential growth in trade with a consequent effect on GDP for both India and Bangladesh if there is free trade and liberal connectivity.
- Highly ambitious plan for Bangladesh’s railway development: It has been reported that Bangladesh nowadays places its orders for the ambitious development plans for its railways going for the best available equipment in the market.
- Dhaka-based officials have expressed appreciation for railway engines and India-built passenger buses given to Dhaka as a goodwill gesture.
- India to become third largest economy by 2030: It presents Dhaka an opportunity to hitch its economy to a larger engine, seek global integration and drive its own socio-economic development.
- New areas of cooperation: The joint statement nods towards a collaborative future that will be driven by youth and technology transfer in space and satellite research.
- It also called for cooperation in cutting edge areas of science, artificial intelligence, peaceful uses of nuclear technology, big data and technology-enabled services in health and education.
- India is committed to a reasonable solution to the sharing of all river waters bypasses the essential need for the development of water resources, which, in turn, requires multi-state collaboration.
- The maintenance of stable and friendly relations with India has been to Bangladesh’s advantage in terms of both countries sharing a common position on regional security.
- The current Indo-Bangladesh leaders’ talks could well be a fresh opportunity for Bangladesh to emphasise to India the need for meaningful pressure to be applied to Myanmar over the Rohingya issue.
- The success of India’s Act East policy, development of North East, economic integration with the South East region, progress of BIMSTEC, peace and security in the East of India are linked to India’s ties with Bangladesh.
- Bangladesh strongly feels that by leveraging closer ties with India will be able to ensure strengthened regional and global integration of her economy.
POSTED ON 31-03-2021 BY ADMIN
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