Indo-Bangla ties can’t be limited to a single issue
Indian envoy tells session of Bay of Bengal Conversation
Photo: Collected
The mutual cooperation between Bangladesh and India is multidimensional and cannot be restricted to a single issue, said Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Kumar Verma.
He made the remark yesterday addressing the second session of the Bay of Bengal Conversation symposium, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon in Dhaka.
"Our relations can't be restricted to a single agenda or a single issue. The reality of our interdependence and mutual benefit will keep asserting itself over and over again regardless of the change in political will.
"Regardless of how it [the relations] may be characterised, we [India] believe it's a people-centric relationship … India will continue to seek a stable relationship for the sake of the people," he said.
"We issue more visas than any other diplomatic missions here," Verma said, additionallynoting that visa operations arecurrently limited.
He added that Bangladesh's zero tolerance for terrorism and refusal to harbour Indian anti-insurgency elements areimportant to India.
"Bangladesh sits at the intersection of most of India's foreign policy decisions. Our peace, progress, and security are interlinked."
Meanwhile, Dr Sreeradha Datta, professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs at OP Jindal Global University, said, "Integration in South Asia can only happen surrounding the India-Bangladesh caucus. That's how important it is."
The relationship between the two countries has been under pressure after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina sought refuge in India following her ouster on August 5.
Indian Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha on August 6 that Hasina had sought approval to come to India on a "short notice".
The Indian media had reported that upon crossing the India-Bangladesh border, Hasina's exit flight was escorted by two fighter jets. She is reportedly staying at a safehouse in New Delhi.
The International Crimes Tribunal has asked Interpol to issue a red notice for Hasina's arrest in connection with the deaths of hundreds of protesters during the mass uprising against her in July.
Meanwhile, speakers at the conference also spoke about Indo-Pacific security and prioritising sovereignty.
Responding to a question about how the Chinese-built submarine base in Cox's Bazar's Pekua impacts Indo-Pacific security, the Acting High Commissioner for Australia Nardia Simpson said, "The question isn't about who was involved but about whether [Bangladesh's] sovereignty was prioritised."
She went on to say that Bangladesh must act for itself and not be acted upon.
Simpson added that security for the Indo-Pacific means a position "where a larger country cannot dominate and where all countries' sovereignty is respected."
David Brewster, senior research fellow at the National Security College in Australia, said Bangladesh holds the unique position to stabilise the increasingly fractured relations concerning the Indo-Pacific. "It can check major powers to make sure no one dominates."
He added, "It has long puzzled me why Bangladesh has not been a larger player in the region. Bangladesh has vital interests, but in recent years it has not sought to shape the strategic interests concerning the region in line with its own policy."
Bangladesh Defense
