Round
The World
New Delhi, 25 December 2020
India &
Bangladesh
STITCHING
A PARTNERSHIP!!
By Dr.
D.K. Giri
(Prof,
International Relations, JIMMC)
Last week,
16 December, India and Bangladesh moved closer towards stitching a robust
partnership in a virtual summit between Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Premier
Sheikh Hasina. After the bad taste in the bilateral relationship following the
implementation of CAA-NRC, the summit that resulted in signing seven Agreements
is certainly a breath of fresh air. Prime Minister Modi said, “Dhaka is the
true pillar of our neighbourhood first policy, which has been my first priority
since I took office”. Hasina reciprocated the warmth, “India is a true friend”.
India-Bangladesh
relations go back five decades ago when New Delhi changed the world map by
liberating Bangladesh from Pakistani occupation. On 16 December 1971, Indian
army marched into Bangladesh territory in response to a heavy exodus of
refugees from the war zone in Bangladesh and 93,000 Pakistani troops
surrendered without resistance in Ramana Race Course in Dhaka. Therefore, the
relations are based on Dhaka’s ‘eternal gratitude’ for India’s role in their
liberation and New Delhi’s continued goodwill towards this neighbour. In
substantive terms, New Delhi has been supporting Dhaka in its development
programmes. It has extended three LoC (Line of Credit) in the last eight years
of US$ 8 billion for development of infrastructure – roads, railways, shipping
and ports.
Obviously,
the bilateral relations between the two countries are based on “shared history,
heritage, culture, language and other unique commonalities”, articulated in
newspaper article by the Bangladesh Ambassador in New Delhi, HE Muhammad Imran.
He shared with readers that in 2020, Bangladesh celebrated the birth centenary of
Sheikh Mujibur Rahaman, the architect of Bangladesh. Modi was Chief Guest on this
17th March on the occasion. A memorial in the form of Bangabandhu
(Mujibur)-Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) digital museum was decided to be set up. Sheikh
Hasina has invited Modi to be the Chief Guest again next year in March 2021
when Bangladesh celebrates the 50th year of its independence. Modi
has consented. A biopic on Bangabandhu would begin to be produced by the noted
Indian film director Shyam Benegal in January 2021 as a part of the liberation celebrations.
.
The seven
Agreements inked during the summit to expand cooperation included projects on
Hydrocarbon, high-impact community development projects, trans-border elephant
conservation, solid waste management, mainly the supply of equipment from India
for garbage disposal in Barishal city, sanitation, textile, agriculture and
creation of a CEOs forum for policy inputs etc. The notable development is the
reopening of a cross-border rail link which was defunct since 1965. To recall
there were six rail networks between India and Bangladesh from 1947-1965. The
latest rail link between Haldibari in Cooch Behar, West Bengal to Chilahati, Northern
Bangladesh was started during the summit. To mark the occasion and resuming
operation, a goods train was flagged off from Chilahati station by Mohd Nurul
Islam Sujan, Bangladesh Railway Minister.
Understandably,
Hasina is sentimental about India as she recognises its critical role in the
liberation of her country. She shared her ordeal during the Bangladesh crisis,
“Bangladesh got liberated on December 16, 1971 but my family and myself were
freed next day on 17 December.” One 29-year-old Indian major along with three
soldiers rescued Hasina’s family including two sisters, two brothers and mother,
facing scores of Pakistani soldiers. The major was awarded Paramvir Chakra for
this heroic act.
After the
summit, Hasina made a powerful statement, “I believe both our countries can
move up the global and regional value chains by further integrating our
economies taking advantage of available synergies”. She also stated that a good
number of Indians are employed in business – manufacturing and service sector –
sending sizeable remittances back to India. At the same time, India receives a
number of tourists and medical patients from Bangladesh. There are number of
students from Bangladesh pursuing higher studies in various disciplines in
India. Both leaders agreed to facilitate greater people-to-people contact and
mobility across the two countries.
As
expected, Hasina raised the issues of Rohingyas and sharing of Teesta water.
These two issues have been bothering Dhaka and on which it has sought greater
cooperation from New Delhi. Modi on his part, acknowledged Dhaka’s generosity in
accommodating 1.1 million Rohingya refugees from Rakhine state of Myanmar. Both
leaders agreed to work in collaboration for safe and swift return of these refugees
to Myanmar.
Amongst
other agreements, it was decided to soon hold a joint boundary conference to
sort out pending issues. It was agreed to complete border fencing in remaining
sectors starting from Tripura. The usual concern of New Delhi found expression
in the joint statement issued after the summit. Both countries reckoned
terrorism to be the principal threat to global peace and security and reiterated
their commitment to eliminating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. On
energy sector, 130 kms India-Bangladesh Friendship pipeline was to be set up. Both
leaders welcomed the signing of second addendum to the Protocol on Inland Water
(PIWTT). A trial run was done of trans-shipment of Indian goods from Kolkata to
Agartala via Chattogram. Following the addendum, the Sonamura-Dandkandi
Protocol route under PIWTT was operationalised.
The
important development perhaps is the move towards signing a Comprehensive
Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which is supposed to be an advanced form
of a free trade agreement that will ensure preferential and even tariff free
access to goods, services and investment in both countries. In July 2020, the
maritime connectivity was enhanced as a trial of trans-shipment of goods to
India’s North-East through Chittagong. All in all, Government of India has extended grant assistance on
various infrastructure projects like dredging of Inland waterways in Bangladesh
and development of ports and several routes for transport and shipment.
In South
Asia, apparently, Bangladesh under Sheikh Hasina is the closest neighbour of
India. Nepal used to have that space in India’s neighbourhood. Ironically,
after monarchy was abolished and Nepal came under the influence of Communist
parties, Kathmandu inched closer towards Beijing and distanced from New Delhi.
However, they are in trouble now as the Community party has split, Parliament
is suspended and Kathmandu has not been successful in cutting off the historic
traditional links with India. Dhaka is warm and friendly with New Delhi under
Hasina, but the Islamic radical elements resurface whenever Hasina is not at
the helm.
Despite
closeness and commonalities existing between India and Bangladesh, the latter
could be volatile under different regimes. New Delhi, therefore, has to connect
with people, business, universities, civil society organisations to maintain
the healthy and warm relationship. Bangladesh is a fit case for engaging in
track-II diplomacy beyond inter-governmentalism. That will back up the
governmental collaboration and ensure that animosity against India is not
engineered.
Vested
interests could exploit the religious factors in bilateralism as India is
predominantly Hindu country and Bangladesh Muslim. The CAA is in that sense is
a spoke in the wheel of the relationship with Bangladesh. Although a discussion
on CAA and its repercussion on the neighbourhood mainly Bangladesh is beyond
this piece, we have raised our concern in this column that CAA could have been
inclusive. However, that is perhaps out of the equation now but caution and
care is in order not to create avoidable disregard for India. Thus,
India-Bangladesh relations could be a model for New Delhi’s neighbourhood
policy. ---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature
Alliance)
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