Recently, India’s External Affairs Minister visited Bangladesh for a crucial bilateral meet. This comes ahead of a planned visit by the Indian Prime Minister to the neighbouring country in March 2021. Notably, a 122-member contingent of the Bangladesh Armed Forces participated in India’s 72nd Republic Day parade as the two countries commemorate half a century since the historic India-Pakistan war of 1971 which birthed a free Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s Viewpoint
In the bilateral discussions, Bangladesh insisted on resolving problems through negotiations and dialogues. It also emphasized the necessity of focusing on feasible ways to materialize commitments and accommodate each other’s priorities in a manner that is mutually beneficial. Bangladesh expressed gratitude for the cooperation between the two countries during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially with regard to vaccine distribution. The nation procured its vaccines from India’s Serum Institute and is currently the largest beneficiary of ‘Made in India’ vaccines, having received 9 million doses.
The meeting noted the multidimensional relationship between India and Bangladesh, highlighting its breadth encompassing security, trade, transport and connectivity, culture, people-to-people ties, energy, shared resource development, and defence.
India’s Perspective
India, during the meeting, congratulated Bangladesh on its graduation from the United Nations’ Least Developed Country (LDC) status, an achievement facilitated by fulfilling all criteria necessary for promotion to a developing country that it accomplished in 2018. This recommendation pushes Bangladesh into the developing nation bracket by 2026.
From India’s viewpoint, the relations between the two countries transcend strategic partnership and emphasize the centrality of their bonding to the vision of a peaceful, prosperous, and progressive South Asia. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the nations maintained frequent interactions.
Thorny Issues and Progress Report
The Teesta water-sharing issue was also brought up for discussion, with proposals to organise a meeting of Water Resources secretaries. India further expressed interest in enhancing the region’s geo-economic scenario with a focus on connectivity development with Bangladesh and beyond for the next 20 years.
Bangladesh is central to India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and plays a significant role in India’s Act East Policy. Concrete progress has been made on several fronts such as trial runs of container cargo through Chattogram port, new protocol routes for inland waterways, locomotive handovers, and joint ventures in the energy sector.
The Way Forward
A year after the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019-National Register of Citizens (NRC) strained relations between the two nations, quiet diplomacy seems to have eased tensions. India must maintain its partnership with Bangladesh that fosters economic growth and improved developmental parameters for both countries.
Bangladesh, with its burgeoning economic success, remains a critical partner in the region. The countries share 54 transboundary rivers, making water management key to shared prosperity. While Bangladesh-India relations have reached a stage of maturity, specific issues like Teesta and Dhaka’s call for assistance on the Rohingya issue need attention. This will pave the way for the relationship to evolve to the next level based on cooperation, coordination, and consolidation.
Last Modified: February 11, 2024