Relationship:
- Bangladesh is closely linked to India through its shared culture and ethnicity with West Bengal.
- India’s links with Bangladesh are civilizational, cultural, social and economic.
- Bangladeshis are grateful for Indian support and sacrifices in 1971.
- India played the great role in emergence of independent Bangladesh and was the first country to recogniseBangladesh as separate state.
- The historic land boundary agreement signed in 2015 opened a new era in the relations.
- Both the countries are the common members of SAARC, BIMSTEC, IORA and the Commonwealth.
- India has always stood by Bangladesh in its hour of need with aid and economic assistance to help it cope with natural disasters and floods.
Significance of it today
- Bangladesh is India’s sixth largest trade partner with bilateral trade rising from $2.4 billion (two point four) in 2009 to $10.8 billion in 2020-21.
- Security and connectivity of North East: A friendly Bangladesh can ensure that its soil is not used for anti-India activities.Bangladesh’s action resulted in the arrest of many top leaders of the NE insurgent groups likeUnited Liberation Front of Assam & National Democratic Front of Bodoland.
- Bridge to Southeast Asia: Bangladesh is a natural pillar ofAct East policy.It can act as a ‘bridge’ to economic and political linkages with South East Asia and beyond. Bangladesh is important component of BIMSTEC and BBIN initiatives.
- Strengthening South Asia as a regional power: Bangladesh is important for strengthening of SAARC, for promoting cooperation among its member nations to economic growth and securing strategic interests.
- Securing sea lines of communication: Bangladesh is strategically placed nearby important sea lanes. It can play significant role in containing piracy in the Indian Ocean.
- Fighting terrorism and deradicalization: Stable, open and tolerant Bangladesh helps India in stopping extremists from flourishing there and also in cooperation in deradicalization efforts, sharing intelligence, and other counter-terrorism efforts.
- Balancing China: A neutral Bangladesh would ensure containment of an assertive China in this region, and help in countering it’s string of pearls policy.
- India and Bangladesh today enjoy one of the best periods of their relationship, with positive development in the areas of diplomatic, political, economic and security relations.
- Bilateral trade was a little over $10 billion and Bangladeshi exports increased by 42.91%.
- The India-Bangladesh border is one of India’s most secured.
- By signing of the Land Boundary Agreement in 2015, the two neighbours amicably resolved a longoutstanding issue.
- In addition to the 660 MW of power imported by Bangladesh, Indian export of electricity increased by another 500 MW.
- Train services on the Dhaka-Kolkata and Kolkata-Khulna are doing well, while a third, on the Agartala-Akhaura route, is under construction.
- Today, Bangladesh contributes 50% of India’s health tourism revenue.
- Relations between the two border guarding forces are at their best right now.
Concerns:
- Teesta waters issueremains a big problem due to continuous protest by the Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal government.
- National Register of Citizenshas left out 1.9 million people in Assam and they are being labelled as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
- But Bangladesh is firm in its stance that no migrants travelled to Assamillegally during the 1971 war of independence and NRC may risk the relations.
- The Rohingya issueand India’s remarks in 2017 on the issue have been upsetting for Bangladesh which has been facing the challenge of providing shelter to more than a million Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution
- Bangladesh is overwhelmingly dependent on China for military hardware. China’s economic footprint is growing.
- Since 2010, India approved three Lines of Credit to Bangladesh of $7.362 billion to finance development projects. But, because of bureaucratic red tapism, just $442 million have been disbursed until December 2018.
- Though Bangladesh is slow in implementation, India’s requirement of the disbursement process to be approved by Exim Bankhas not helped either.
Way Forward:
- Bangladesh, with its growing economic success, and with its 8 percent growth rate provides a vital partnership in the region.
- Bangladesh-India relations have reached a stage of maturity. Bilateral ties can be expected to grow stronger in the future. It is for India to take the lead to remove these irritants.
- India’s attempts to equate Bangladesh to fundamentally theocratic Muslim nations such as Pakistan and Afghanistan is something that is unacceptable to Bangladeshis, where religious and racial harmony have always been a priority, unlike in many neighboring countries so we not need to equate it with Pakistan.
- Bangladesh-India relations have reached a stage of maturity. Bilateral ties can be expected to grow stronger in the future. It is for India to take the lead to remove these irritants.
- There is scope for India-Bangladesh ties to move to the next level, based on cooperation, coordination and consolidation.
- India’s continued partnership with Bangladesh benefits both countries.
- New Delhi must keep up the partnership that allows for economic growth and improved developmental parameters for both countries.
- It is important to address specific issues like Teesta and to respond to Dhaka’s call for help on the Rohingya issue.
- The two countries share 54 transboundary rivers, and water management is the key to prosperity.
- Effective border management for ensuring a tranquil, stable and crime free border.
