India-Bangladesh ties | Gist of Rajya Sabha TV / RSTV (now Sansad TV) - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

• As Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina was in India for her four-day visit, we take a closer look at India’s multifaceted ties with Bangladesh.

Background

• India’s links with Bangladeshare civilizational, cultural, social and economic.
• 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 relations today

• 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.

Bilateral Relations

• 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 Citizens has 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

• Deepening relationship  with  Bangladesh  has  become  a  necessity  in  the  face  of  shifting  geo-economics.
• Bangladesh, with its  growing  economic  success,  and  with  its  8  percent  growth  rate  provides  a  vital partnership  in  the  region.
• India-Bangladesh border is one of India’s most secured.
• 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.