India-Bangladesh relations, a model of bilateral cooperation

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s state visit to India (5-8 September) has displayed the high stakes of both politics in their bilateral ties with regional importance. Delhi and Dhaka are acutely aware that they must fix this important equation, continue to strengthen and deepen their cooperation and face the challenges. Only then can this relationship be clearly projected as a major breakthrough for his foreign policies. Even before arriving in New Delhi, Ms Hasina underscored the importance of the special “bond” between the two countries, where one helped liberate the other, and where the two have worked together, especially since Ms. Hasina reunited. came to power. in 2009.

Dhaka’s hopes

In her most candid interview given just before her visit, Ms Hasina vividly recalled that India had helped her in every way she could when she faced the biggest personal tragedy of her life: her father Sheikh. The murder of Mujibur Rahman, and a number of other members of his family. It was a national disaster. The shelter, protection and support given by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and subsequent governments shaped Ms Hasina’s worldview and her perception of India. As Prime Minister, he changed gestures substantially by taking strong action against anti-India insurgent groups soon after assuming power. Since then, the two governments have successfully resolved many chronic problems such as the exchange of conventions and the conclusion of long-pending land and maritime boundary agreements. But other challenges remain.

Four specific issues are troubling the Bangladeshi side. First, the continued presence of 1.1 million Rohingyas who fled Myanmar in 2017 has put enormous pressure on the economy and social harmony. Ms Hasina has said that India is a big country which she should “accommodate”. In addition, it seeks strong support from India to facilitate their early return to Myanmar. Second, there have been persistent complaints of the lack of agreement on sharing the Teesta waters, pending since 2011 due to West Bengal’s refusal to soften, and the wider issue of joint management of 54 common rivers. Third, India’s sensitivity to the growing cooperation between Dhaka and Beijing bothers the Bangladeshi authorities. Ms Hasina has emphasized that if India and China had differences, she “doesn’t want to put her nose up”.

Fourth, he has admitted that despite his government’s secular policy, there have been “incidents” against Hindu minorities, but that his government has acted against the miscreants. At the same time, he has expressed concern about the protection of minorities in India, pointing out that “it is not only (in) Bangladesh, even in India, minorities sometimes suffer.” “.

The above reference helps in evaluating the outcome of Ms Hasina’s latest visit to India. He last visited India in 2019. They hosted the Prime Minister and the President of India when they visited Bangladesh in March and December 2021 respectively. The visits marked the celebrations of three eras: the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; Golden Jubilee of Independence; and 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh. These visits were used to reach new agreements and to add further material and momentum to the relationship. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted, “The warmth and frequency of our leadership level contacts is a testimony to our close neighbourhood.[u]Railway Partnership. “This cycle continues uninterruptedly. The latest visit resulted in seven agreements designed to enhance cooperation in diverse areas of water sharing, railways, science and technology, space, media and capacity building.

specific result

Indian officials identified several specific outcomes of Ms Hasina’s discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. First, there was the agreement “to continue close security cooperation” on terrorism, border crimes and border management. Second, the two sides re-committed themselves to enhance their development partnership, which is already very broad and multifaceted. Third, they agreed to build resilient supply chains in both countries and “across the region”. A key decision was to initiate the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2022 and to conclude negotiations by the time Bangladesh graduates from least developed country status in 2026. Finally, the leaders supported expanding connectivity through more rail, road, inland waterways, and coastal shipping linkages. They agreed to build on the impressive successes achieved in this area over the past decade.

Economic relations are developing excellently. Bilateral trade has touched an all-time high of $18 billion. Logistics has been put in place for the electricity trade between Bangladesh and its neighbors – India, Nepal and Bhutan. India will assist Bangladesh by sharing its rich experience of innovation through startups.

Regarding the issues raised by Ms. Hasina, what is the progress? On displaced people from Rakhine State (the term ‘Rohingya’ was not used in honor of Myanmar’s sensitivity), India praised Bangladesh’s “generosity” in sheltering them, assured more material aid, and compared its previous repeated the situation. Support their “Safe, Durable and Prompt Return”. India is not able to do much more than this. As expected, there was no resolution to the Teesta question, but in a significant forward movement, the two governments agreed to share the waters of the Kushiyara, a common border river. They also agreed to exchange data on other rivers, set their priorities and draw up a framework for an “interim water sharing arrangement”.

The thrust of the discussion on China-related issues, if it happened at all, is not known. When pressured by the media, India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that strategic priorities, interests and concerns have been “factored into the cooperative matrix of our partnership”, emphasizing that this bilateral relationship is “on its own merits”. standing over. The question of protection of minorities did not find a place in the joint statement, but Dhaka regularly reiterates its commitment to protect Hindus in Bangladesh.

grim ground reality

In India, concerns continue about the cumulative and adverse impact of COVID-19 on Bangladesh’s economy and the Ukraine war. The country is facing mounting street protests triggered by a sharp rise in fuel prices, depletion of foreign exchange reserves and a deepening financial crisis. Furthermore, the growing influence of radical forces, extremism and bigotry pose a serious threat to political stability. Thus, the outline of the combined challenges facing the Sheikh Hasina government in the parliamentary elections in 2023 becomes clear.

Citizens of Bangladesh have to choose their next government, but they should know that the contribution of Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League government to building strong ties with its biggest neighbour is huge and widely appreciated in India. Their leaders have jointly created and nurtured “a role model for bilateral and regional cooperation”. Whatever happens in the future, it deserves to be protected and strengthened.

Rajeev Bhatia is the Distinguished Fellow of Gateway House. A former ambassador, he regularly writes on developments in South Asia