🇧🇩 Indo-Bangla Relation: India's Regional Ambition, Geopolitical Reality, and Strategic Options For Bangladesh

[Saif]

Indo-Bangla Relation: India's Regional Ambition, Geopolitical Reality, and Strategic Options For Bangladesh​

By Saif​

The independence movement under the leadership of Congress was for establishing undivided independent India through the eviction of British rulers from the soil of India, but the degeneration of Hindu-Muslim relations into hostility and the subsequent demand of Muslim league for a separate state for the Muslims of the region thwarted the dream of an undivided independent India and made the partition of subcontinent inevitable. While the initial proposal for the partition met with steep resistance as most of the senior leaders of Congress namely, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad vehemently protested such proposal and termed it as British conspiracy to divide India, the Congress finally gave its nod of approval in the fear that outright rejection of the partition proposal might be used by the British colonial rulers against the independence movement to perpetuate their political domination over the country and in the hope that with a small resource base, peculiar geographic reality that separates both the wings of the country by one thousand miles, and paucity of leaders with high political experience, Pakistan would not survive too long and would reunite with India in the end.

There is no surprise that partition of India came as a shock to Congress leaders and that they could never reconcile themselves to the idea of an independent Pakistan because their freedom struggle was for undivided India, and therefore they wanted to roll back the geographical changes made to Indian subcontinent through partition and their intention was clearly demonstrated to Pakistan from the very beginning, which gave rise to a plethora of problems and a paucity of trust between the two nations.

What Pakistan needed in those formative years was national unity and balanced development in the two wings to ensure security and progress to consolidate its position as a powerful nation in the subcontinent and to thwart Indian attempt to undo the geographical arrangements after partition. But the then Pakistani leaders' myopic failure to recognize Bengalis as equal partners and unforgivable reluctance to give them due share of political power and economic opportunity caused widespread resentment among the East Pakistanis, which was cunningly used by India against Pakistan in the subsequent years. The Indian political leaders in later years used their diplomatic channels and intelligence agencies to cultivate close relations with East Pakistani political establishment in order to involve themselves in almost all political movements in East Pakistan to use the prevailing sense of deprivation among East Pakistanis to their own political advantage and to instigate East Pakistanis against West Pakistanis to accelerate

the process of disintegration of Pakistan firstly, to weaken it, and secondly, to bring it back to India's lap through various political machinations to realize the dream of undivided India.

No amount of political negotiations between the two wings could improve the situation in East Pakistan due, mainly, to the stubbornness of West Pakistanis, which gave rise to increasing sense of alienation and deprivation among the people of East Pakistan, and finally when Sheikh Mujib was denied the premiership in 1970, Bengalis decided to get out of the relationship once and for all. So, for the first time and certainly for the last time in history, the disintegration of Pakistan became a common goal for both India and Bengalis of East Pakistan as the former wanted to break Pakistan to realize its vision of undivided India and the latter wanted to establish a separate independent nation to rid themselves of an insensitive and repressive political regime.

 

[Saif]

Evolution of Indian Strategic Goal

The Indian strategic goal underwent a gradual evolution since the independence of Bangladesh. The primary motivations for India to get involved in the liberation war of Bangladesh was the break-up of Pakistan and the emergence of a friendly but weak Bangladesh for the security of its North-East region. But aggressive endeavors were also conducted to gradually lure Bangladesh into a trap to make her India-locked strategically. This section will discuss:

• Specific Indian actions to help in the liberation war
• Indian motivations and seven point agreement
• 25 year friendship treaty and its impact

Steps Taken By The Indira Govt. To Help In The Liberation War


As soon as the Pakistani army cracked down on unarmed East Pakistanis, India, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, took bold steps to help the Bengalis in their just struggle for independence against the fascist regime of Yahya Khan. The Indira government set the following objectives to ensure a desired outcome in the war for both Indians and East Pakistanis:

1. To give safe passage to top Awami League leaders to India and to help form the Mujibnagar government
2. To help form Mukti Bahini and to provide necessary training and weapons
3. To form Mujib Bahini as an alternative force and to use them in special operations
4. To provide asylum to refugees from East Pakistan
5. To launch a vigorous diplomatic campaign worldwide through its foreign services to garner support for East Pakistan's just struggle for freedom
6. To use its military and intelligence resources to the extent possible to help the freedom fighters sustain a prolonged war against the powerful Pakistan army

India Never Lost Sight of Its Strategic Goal

Some people may argue that India's decision to help in 1971 was based purely on humanitarian grounds, but the reality is that India's decision to extend its wholehearted support to Bangladesh's liberation war was a premeditated one and was primarily based on its own strategic goal of disintegrating Pakistan to undo the changes made through partition. Former Indian foreign secretary Mr. Dixit said, "We helped in the liberation of Bangladesh in mutual interest, it was not a favor”, and a senior RAW intelligence officer said, "Bangladesh was the result of a 10 year long promotion of dissatisfaction against the rulers of Pakistan”. These statements from two former top Indian government officials are testaments to the fact that Indian help for Bangladesh was not an altruistic one, but rather a carefully planned strategic maneuver to disintegrate Pakistan and that the intelligence agencies of India were engaged in fomenting unrest in East Pakistan long before 1971. With their strategic goal in mind, India concluded a seven point agreement with Mujibnagar government to seal the fate of a negotiated settlement between East and West Pakistan, to cripple Bangladesh by depriving it of its sovereign right to raise a standing army, and to strip Bangladesh of her power to independently formulate foreign policy. Now, for the benefit of the readers let me briefly describe the points of the 'seven point agreement':

1. Bangladesh government will select only those people for administrative posts who have actively participated in the liberation war and any shortfall therein will be filled by the Indian government officials.
2. A joint force will be formed comprising of the Indian army and the Mukti Bahini and this force will be placed under the command of the chief of staff of the Indian army who will lead the liberation war.
3. Bangladesh will have no standing army.
4. India will help raise a paramilitary force to protect internal law and order of the country.
5. Open market will be the basis for trade relation between the two nations and this arrangement will be subject to periodical reviews.
6. The Indian army will be stationed in Bangladesh for an indefinite period of time, but the time frame for their gradual withdrawal will be determined through annual meetings between the two governments.
7. Bangladesh will formulate her foreign policy only in consultation with India.

The conclusion of the seven point agreement only ensured that the Mujibnagar government would continue the war until Bangladesh gained full independence from Pakistan, but it did not give the guarantee that China and America would not interfere in the event the Indian army directly intervened in East Pakistan. So, the Indira government approached the former Soviet Union for a security guarantee against impending Chinese and American threats, and it was made available to them in the shape of '25 year friendship treaty' by the erstwhile Soviet Union, which was also seeking to play a substantial role in the subcontinent to expand its own sphere of influence.

The signing of the seven point agreement with Mujib Government and the 25 year friendship treaty with the Soviets removed all obstacles for the Indian forces to directly intervene in East Pakistan, and it took them less than two weeks to overrun the defensive positions of the Pakistan army, which was already exhausted by a nine month long guerrilla war against Mukti Bahini and was at the final stages of disintegration and collapse. At the end of the war, Bangladesh got her much cherished independence and India could break Pakistan into two pieces for which it had been scheming since 1947.

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh Steps Into A Strategic Trap

While the public of Bangladesh, in general, and the Mujib government, in particular, were extremely grateful to India for its help and support in the war of liberation and wanted to maintain the best possible relationship with the Indian people, the Indians were not complacent with friendship from 'ex-East Pakistanis' and were making their own strategic plans in line with the seven point agreement to reduce Bangladesh's relevance as an independent nation through limiting her power to formulate national policies so as to protect their long term strategic interest in North-East India. A strategic trap was set for Bangladesh in the form of '25 year friendship treaty' which took away most, if not all, options for Bangladesh to independently establish foreign, defense, and economic relations with other nations in the world. I would like to briefly mention a few clauses of the '25 year friendship treaty' that had deleterious effects on our foreign, defense, and economic interests:

Article 4: Both the nations will hold regular meetings with each other at all levels to discuss major international issues for mutual benefits.​

Article 5: Both the nations will cooperate with each other in the field of trade, transport, and communications on the basis of equality, mutual benefit, and the most favored nation principle.​

Article 8: None of the nations will ever enter into a military alliance against each other and will refrain from allowing a third party from using their soil for military purposes that could constitute a threat to national security for either of the nations.​

​

Article 9: Both the nations will refrain from providing any assistance to a third party taking part in an armed conflict against either of the nations to ensure regional peace and security.​

Article 10: Neither of the parties will undertake any commitment, secret or open, toward one or more states, which may violate the spirit of the treaty.​

Article 4 practically eliminated Bangladesh's power to devise an independent foreign policy and made it compulsory for Bangladesh to consult India about any major foreign policy matter.

Article 5 created an unequal economic relation between the two nations because contrary to India, Bangladesh, being a smaller economy, was unable to avail itself of the opportunities of most favored nation status.

Article 8 ensured that if there was a military conflict between Bangladesh and India, Bangladesh, as a weaker power, could not seek help from outside world to protect her territorial integrity.

Article 9 greatly diminished Bangladesh's own security by making her a party to the Indian strategic plan for the North-East and by putting her on a collision course with the insurgents who had nothing against Bangladesh and in fact were a great help in the liberation war, but India itself broke the sanctity of this clause by providing military and political assistance to Shanti Bahini in Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Article 10 restricted Bangladesh's power to sign a defense deal with a third party to improve her armed forces.

By dint of this treaty India was able to diminish Bangladesh's power to protect herself and her right to establish political and economic relations with other nations independently, and consequently became the de-facto power over Bangladesh to whom the new born country had to depend for her security and economic development only to lose her relevance as a sovereign nation.

 

[Saif]

Strategic Importance of Bangladesh

Notwithstanding her small geographical size, Bangladesh does have certain strategic advantages that make her important to regional and extra regional powers which may draw her into a complex geopolitical scenario of big power rivalry. Bangladesh being the land-bridge between South and South-East Asia, and between East and North-East India provides the most cost-effective and the safest way for inter-regional and intra-regional connectivity. Describing the strategic importance of Bangladesh in relation to India, a renowned security analyst Mr. C. Raja Mohan, said “Relations with Bangladesh are too important to be left to traditional ways of doing diplomatic business. Bangladesh is one of the few Islamic nations of the world where a fragile democracy is taking root; it is a large market for Indian goods and has a huge bearing on India's security and development challenges in the North East." Now, Bangladesh may be seen as a key player in strategic game plan of the U.S.A., China, India, and Pakistan because of the following reasons:

1. Bridge between East and North-East India: The unique geographical location of Bangladesh which cuts the troubled North East region of India off from the mainland constitutes a significant security weak point for India for the fact that the region shares border with China and that various insurgent groups are active within the region who are fighting against the Indian government for self determination. In light of their experience in Indo-China war in 1962, the Indian defense planners consider the 'strategic chicken neck' to be inadequate and see Bangladesh as the safest and the shortest route to transport military logistics to North-East region in case of a future military conflict with China. A strategic corridor through Bangladesh is also seen as important to conduct sustained military campaign against the insurgents in North East. The corridor through Bangladesh has economic significance as well because it is the most cost effective route to connect North-East to the rest of India for transshipment of industrial goods to improve the economic condition of this land-locked region. Describing the economic significance of a corridor through Bangladesh for India, Mr. G. Srinivasan said, “The road route between East India and Northeast India through Bangladesh reduces transport distance by more than 60 per cent in comparison to the current route around Bangladesh through Siliguri”
2. Bridge between SAARC and ASEAN: Bangladesh which is the land-bridge between SAARC and ASEAN has enormous geographical advantage for her proximity to Myanmar and other South-East Asian nations to promote inter- regional economic, political, and security cooperation. Once connected via Asian Highway (AH-41) and Trans-Asian Railway, Bangladesh will be the main transit point for inter-regional economic interactions amongst South and South-East Asian nations. Bangladesh with appropriate policies and infrastructures in place will be playing a pivotal role in defining the direction of economic relations between these two emerging regional groups.
3. Gateway to Bay of Bengal: Bangladesh is considered the gateway to Bay of Bengal with her 45000 sq. miles of sea territory in which lies valuable marine resources such as hydrocarbon, fisheries etc. Her well developed sea ports are of enormous importance because India can use these port facilities to increase trade with its landlocked North-East region while other South and South East Asian countries and China can use them to increase intra-regional and inter-regional economic cooperation. The Chinese navy is also making rapid progress in developing naval relations with coastal nations such as Myanmar and Bangladesh to gain access to their port facilities so as to conduct sustained naval operations in the sea to control the oil transshipment and trade routes in the Indian Ocean. In light of the recently concluded Indo-U.S. Strategic agreement, it is understood that any Chinese naval presence in the Bay of Bengal may be construed as strategic interference in South Asia, and the U.S.A and India may act to prevent Bangladesh from allowing any permanent naval base facilities to China. Therefore, Bangladesh is considered a country of enormous strategic maritime importance for major powers to establish strategic control over South Asia.
4. Energy security: Because of its burgeoning population, high economic growth rate, and rapid industrialization, India has become the sixth largest energy consumer in the world, but it has to import oil to meet 70% of its domestic demand which cost 40% of its total export earnings. It has to diversify import source for uninterrupted supply of energy, but due to international politics importing hydrocarbon from Iran and Venezuela has become uncertain leaving Bangladesh and Myanmar as only cheap and secure sources of energy supply. While Bangladesh has a speculative gas reserve of 33 TCF, her proven reserve is only 12 -15 TCF which is inadequate to meet her own domestic demand so the government has already decided against exporting gas to other countries unless new reserves are found. Even though Bangladesh has expressed her inability to export gas at the moment, India considers Bangladesh a major source of energy in the long run because of her potentials to discover huge hydrocarbon reserves in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh also is the most cost effective route for India to import gas from Myanmar, and therefore Bangladesh may emerge as a significant player in regional strategic energy game.
5. Balance of power: Bangladesh is significant because of the complex strategic scenario that has emerged due to India's strategic alliance with the U.S.A to contain China and its rivalry with Pakistan for regional supremacy. India has to take cognizance of the fact that Bangladesh has established deep military relations with China and has somewhat repaired her fractured relations with Pakistan to correct the problem in balance of power situation with India. So, the possible military role of Bangladesh in case of a war either between India and China or between India and Pakistan could be a strategic concern for India.

 

[Saif]

Indian strategic plan to dominate Bangladesh

In light of Bangladesh's endeavors to take control of her own affairs and her attempts to seek greater independence in foreign policy matters, India formulated a detailed strategic plan to deny Bangladesh a fair opportunity to

build capacity commensurate with her strategic importance and national strength to reduce India's strategic vulnerabilities and to keep Bangladesh within its own sphere of influence as part of its greater regional game plan. In this section we will discuss what goals and objectives India is pursuing and the strategies they have put in place to achieve them.

Strategic Goals

1. To reduce strategic and economic vulnerabilities of North-East India through improving connectivity and accessibility, and through gaining access to the Sea.
2. To diminish strategic advantage of Bangladesh and to gain disproportionate influence on Bangladesh's national policies in general, and foreign, defense, and economic policies in particular.

Strategic objectives

1. To obtain unrestricted transit facilities to transport goods, industrial or military, to and from North-East India and to obtain perpetual rights to use Chittagong sea port.
2. To stop Bangladesh from marching toward the East to confine her within Indian sphere of influence and to reduce Bangladesh's options for integrating her economy with other emerging economies in adjacent regions in order to restrict growth potentials.
3. To extend political help and support to promote friendly elements in domestic politics in order to extract undue favors and privileges from Bangladesh.
4. To deter and discourage Bangladesh from seeking outside help to resolve outstanding issues so as to impose bilateral-ism to negotiate from the position of strength.

 

[Saif]

Strategies

India devised the following set of strategies to isolate, intimidate, and coerce Bangladesh to submit to Indian domination to reap the benefit of breaking Pakistan:

1. Strategy of intimidation and application of force: The aggressive posture of its border security forces along 4096 km. Indo-Bangla border and its deployment of navy near a disputed Island named South Talpatty in the Bay of Bengal in the early 80s to erect illegal structures are signs that in case Bangladesh fails to accommodate Indian unjust demands causing further deterioration in bilateral relations, India will not hesitate to intimidate and use military power against Bangladesh. Mr. Harun ur Rashid, an ex foreign secretary of Bangladesh, described the episode of illegal occupation of South Talpatty by India as, “While bilateral discussions were pending to resolve the dispute, on May 9, 1981, India sent an armed ship "INS Sandhayak" with one helicopter and some military personnel to the island. Some huts, tents, one aerial mast and one pole bearing the Indian flag were seen erected there. Bangladesh was taken by surprise at India's aggressive mood to claim the island. Bangladesh on 11 May 1981 lodged a strong protest against such unwarranted, unilateral and illegal action of India that was in breach of the agreements reached at the highest political level.”
2. Strategy of supporting secessionist movements in Bangladesh: Chittagong Hill Tracts, which is one tenth of the total size of the country, with its enormous natural resources and strategic geographical location is vital for the existence of Bangladesh. Taking advantage of Chittagong Hill Tracts geographical proximity to India's Tripura state and making full use of discontent of the local Tribal people, India sponsored the worst kind of organized terrorism in the Chittagong Hill Tracts to dismember Bangladesh. The surreptitious Indian involvement in providing money and weapons to tribal insurgents in the Chittagong Hill Tracts since 1976 was acknowledged by Bimal Chakma—a Shanti Bahini official-- in an interview with 'The New York Times' on June 11, 1989. India used the insurgents against Bangladesh as a tool to gain political concessions which it would not otherwise be able to extract from the government of Bangladesh. Finally, Bangladesh entered into a peace agreement with Shanti Bahini in 1997 to end insurgency and to restore law and order in Chittagong Hill Tracts, but the security and intelligence agencies of the country are still convinced that a lot of ex-Shanti Bahini members and other terrorists like Kuki Chin are still getting help from Indian security agencies and are hiding in the North East states of India.
3. Strategy of using Bangladesh to alleviate challenges in the North-East: Because of India's step motherly attitude towards its land-locked North-Eastern states, a growing sense of deprivation, exploitation, and insecurity is prevalent among the people of this region, which has contributed to giving birth to a number of insurgent groups who have taken up arms against their own government for self-determination. India's myopic decision to crush insurgency through military means without finding the root cause to better understand the problem and the absence of a mature policy of providing economic and social incentives to remove inequalities have created myriad of problems causing further alienation of indigenous people. Now India wants to involve Bangladesh in quelling insurgency in its North-East region disregarding the fact that without offering appropriate political and economic incentive package to address the legitimate grievances of the indigenous people no third party can do anything to mitigate the problem and that such involvement bears the risk of antagonizing the insurgents which could seriously undermine the security of Bangladesh.
4. Strategy of Trade Exploitation: In bilateral trade relations with its neighbors, India follows a policy of deriving maximum benefits by securing duty free access for its commodities, by cornering other smaller regional countries by not allowing them to have similar trade privileges, and by imposing non tariff barriers on their exports. The SAARC trade leaders have also termed India as the major roadblock in boosting regional trade. Bangladesh is a victim of the same exploitative Indian trade strategy and suffers from a trade deficit to the amount of almost $9 billion with India because of non removal of tariff and non tariff barriers on her exports. To offset the negative impact of this yawning trade gap, so far India has not offered any significant amount of investments and loans to Bangladesh. Harshly criticizing the Indian attitude toward trade liberalization, Mr. C. Raja Mohan said, “ If the penny-pinching bureaucrats of the Commerce Ministry look beyond the immediate revenue-loss, they could find that freer trade with Bangladesh would facilitate faster growth in Bangladesh and make it a bigger market for Indian goods." Many in Bangladesh and India argue that when two unequal economic powers live together the bigger economy dominates the smaller one, but this notion is obsolete because there are examples in other parts of the world where smaller economies are deriving more benefits from their bigger neighbors through freer access to markets and other trade privileges. One such example is the U.S.-Canada trade relations where Canada being a smaller economy is enjoying a substantial trade surplus with the U.S.A because of latter's mature trade policy to foster improved regional cooperation.
5. Strategy of Unilateral Exploitation of Shared Resources: The Indian strategy of bilateralism and non implementation of water sharing treaties has caused enormous difficulties to its lower riparian neighbors because India uses the prevailing asymmetry of power to its own advantage to deprive its neighbors of their due share of water. This has caused enormous ecological damage to riverine Bangladesh as supply of water during dry season has dwindled at an alarming rate. Renowned water expert, Dr. Ainun Nishat in an interview with a local daily said, “But Article-2 (2) stipulates that India will protect the flow at a specified level. Unless this protection mechanism is in operation the residual flow that arrives at Farakka may not be the flow that matches 40 years average condition. In short, the flow distributed has not been protected by India as per provision of the treaty..............What India is doing now is that it is supplying residual water to Farakka to be shared by Bangladesh as India is either withdrawing water from upper riparian rivers or diverting water flows to other rivers within India by river linking projects.” There are examples where other nations have successfully resolved disagreements over sharing common natural resources based on justice and equality through treaty agreements that not only preserved the rights of the lower riparian countries, but also fostered cooperation in joint exploitation of shared resources for the benefit of the region. 'The Boundary Water Treaty 1909' between the U.S.A and Canada set forth a set of principles for both the countries in using the water of common rivers. As per the treaty, both the countries must agree to any project that would change the natural levels or flows of boundary waters to ensure the legitimate rights of lower riparian country are not violated.
6. Strategy of Eroding neighbors Geographical Advantages: The geographical reality is such that India needs a strategic land transit through Bangladesh to directly link itself with South-East Asia in order to implement its much touted look-east policy, but the risk is such land transit will make Bangladesh a land-bridge between South and South-East Asia and will diminish India's own strategic importance vis a vis Bangladesh. So, India has, with the help of UNESCAP, forced Bangladesh to accept the Asian Highway route alignment that will link India's mainland to North-East and through North-East to Myanmar to implement its look-east policy. This will permanently isolate Bangladesh from South-East Asia, and will also diminish her strategic advantage vis a vis India. There can be no dispute in the veracity of such a strategic move to isolate Bangladesh from South-East Asia because India has already implemented Ganga-Mekong cooperation, which is in line with its look-east policy, that includes its North-East and most of South-East Asian countries but excludes Bangladesh. Excluding Bangladesh from such a project defies the reality of geography, but that has been done with an aim to use Bangladesh as a mere land-corridor between East and North-East India and to permanently isolate Bangladesh from South-East Asia through deceiving her into accepting an uneconomical Asian Highway route.

 

[Saif]

Strategic Planning for Bangladesh

With 17 times larger landmass, 10 times larger population, and 6 times larger military, India is placed in an advantageous position to negotiate with Bangladesh from the position of strength to define the bilateral relation in such a way that suits its own political, strategic, and economic interests. Being the weaker party, Bangladesh has to be creative in devising strategies to utilize India's geographical and security vulnerabilities to her own advantage to deal with the strategic challenges that arise from asymmetry of power with India. Strategic alliances, membership with international security forums, and smart planning to use geographical advantages against India are some of the things that Bangladesh needs to do to maintain a power equilibrium.

Strategic Goals

1. To use geographical advantages to define relationships with regional and extra-regional countries on the basis of equality and mutual interdependence.
2. To promote multilateralism in negotiations and conflict resolutions to ensure balance of power and to protect national interests.
3. To consider maritime zone a vital strategic outlet to connect to the rest of the world, to promote trade and economic interests, to maintain independence in crafting foreign relations, and to avoid being sea-locked by neighboring states.

Strategic Objectives

1. To utilize geographical vulnerabilities of neighboring countries to maximize strategic advantages and minimize strategic vulnerabilities.
2. To fully utilize the advantage of geographical proximity to be a land-bridge between South and South-East Asia to increase economic, political, and strategic opportunities.
3. To actively seek security cooperation from friendly nations under bilateral, regional, and global security framework to reduce disadvantages arising from asymmetry of power with India.
4. To enact relevant laws, set principles, formulate procedures, and raise and equip maritime agencies with appropriate tools to enforce those laws, principles, and procedures to establish sovereignty over the maritime zone of the country.

Strategy Recommendations

The government of Bangladesh will define the responsibilities of different agencies to design, to implement, and to enforce strategies to deal with existing power inequalities with India. They will also establish policies to review the current strategies to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses to ensure effectiveness to respond to current risks and to adjust to future risks.

No single strategy is enough to deal with a country as big and powerful as India, so Bangladesh has to employ several different strategies to diminish India's strategic advantage over Bangladesh through identifying and taking advantage of their security weak points, and through internationalizing bilateral issues to seek help from powerful friends and international forums so as to force India to resolve any disputes on the basis of justice, equality, and mutual respect.

In light of the above discussion, Bangladesh may employ the following strategies to protect her national interest vis a vis India:

1. Diplomacy: To use bilateral diplomatic channel to resolve dispute in an amicable manner; if that fails then use regional forums to raise the issue and to involve other regional actors in the dispute resolution process, and if still that doesn't work then use the United Nations to take diplomatic action to prevent dispute from escalating into conflict.
2. International security forums: To make exhaustive efforts to raise bilateral security issues with India in ASEAN Regional Forum in an attempt to engage all the members of the forum in constructive security dialogue to resolve dispute through confidence building or through preventive diplomacy.
3. Strategic alliance: To form strategic alliance with China to obtain security guarantee for protection against any possible Indian military misadventure, and to obtain political guarantee that China will use her veto power to thwart Indian attempt to use the United Nations Security Council to legitimize its unilateral action with respect to dispute with Bangladesh. Bangladesh will also work with China on matters affecting Chinese security interest based on mutual cooperation, interest, and utmost respect for each others sovereignty.
4. Strategic chicken neck: To consider the 'chicken neck' a strategic asset and to take political decision based on national consensus to not allow India the land transit rights on a bilateral basis through Bangladesh to transport goods, military or industrial, to its North-East region. Bangladesh should follow multilateralism in providing land transit which will give Bangladesh a clear strategic advantage over India because the latter will be forced to rely on Bangladesh for the stability and economic development of its North-East region.
5. Military strength: To gain substantial military power to tie the entire Eastern Command of India in a long term war to cause erosion in its ability to fight a simultaneous war against Bangladesh and China or other friendly forces in the region.

 

[Saif]

Peaceful Endeavors For A Broader cooperation And Partnership

Despite having divergent strategic and security outlook, Bangladesh and India, being so close neighbors and part of so many regional and international forums, should try to take solid actions to minimize differences to foster understanding and cooperation in various socio-economic and security issues for amicable co-existence and regional stability. The following set of actions are recommended to achieve a peaceful bilateral relation:

1. To promote regional cooperation to harness water resources for the benefit of agriculture and production of electricity
2. To provide duty free access for each others commodities to promote greater economic cooperation
3. To take prompt diplomatic actions to demarcate land and maritime borders in the spirit of justice, equality, and good neighborliness
4. To work closely to combat sea piracy, illegal arms trade, drug trafficking and human trafficking for the sake of regional security and stability
5. To create the culture of non-interference in each others internal affairs to promote trust, confidence, and cooperation​

Concluding Observations

The geopolitical environments of Europe and South-East Asia are different from that of South Asia for the fact that the major European and South-East Asian nations have already discarded their regional ambition in favor of building regional community based on equality whereas in South Asia India still is adamantly pursuing its big power ambition and is therefore guided by the principles of domination making it impossible to build a regional community based on equality. Bangladesh, being the 8th largest country by population in the world and having an economy larger than that of combined economies of Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri-Lanka, and Maldives should assiduously strive to achieve a significant power status in South Asia through creatively using her strategic geographical location and competitive advantages. Any deficiency in bargaining power vis a vis India should be corrected through economic and political alliances with China and South-East Asia.

 

[Bilal9]

‘India Out’ campaigns simmer in Bangladesh amid election fallout​

Calls to boycott Indian goods in Bangladesh follow allegations of Indian interference in national elections.

Grocery stores have been unable to sell Indian-made chips [Al Jazeera]
By Faisal Mahmud
Published On 7 Feb 20247 Feb 2024

Dhaka, Bangladesh – Amid allegations of Indian interference in national elections, there’s a call to boycott Indian goods in Bangladesh.

Last week, a supplier for the Indian consumer goods giant Marico faced a chilly reception in Dhaka’s Panthapath area. Grocery shops, usually eager to stock their shelves with its hair oil, cooking oil, body lotion and other products, refused to take new deliveries.

“Sales of Parachute oil, a Marico bestseller, have plummeted to almost zero in recent weeks,” local shopkeeper Aman Ullah said. “Indian products just aren’t moving. We’re stuck with unsold stock and won’t be restocking.”

Another shop owner who requested anonymity revealed a deeper reason: “I don’t want to sell Indian products any more.” He cited YouTube videos advocating a boycott of Indian goods, which he wholeheartedly supported.

Simmering anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh has boiled over in the past decade, culminating in public displays such as celebrations in Dhaka last year after India’s loss in the Cricket World Cup final.

But after last month’s elections in Bangladesh, in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina secured a fourth term while the opposition boycotted the polls, a massive “India Out” campaign was launched, alleging Indian interference in Bangladesh politics.

The Bangladeshi diaspora and opposition groups have fuelled this anti-India movement and advocated boycotts of Indian products. This movement mirrors similar campaigns in the Maldives, where Mohamed Muizzu capitalized on anti-India sentiment to win the presidential election.

In Dhaka, the campaign was launched against the backdrop of India’s traditionally strong ties with Hasina’s government and its strained relationship with the opposition, leading many to believe India favoured the status quo.

Exiled Bangladeshi physician Pinaki Bhattacharya, who fled alleged government harassment in 2018, has emerged as the key figure in this burgeoning social media movement accusing India of interfering in Bangladesh’s recent elections to keep Hasina in power.

Through his more than two million followers across social media platforms, Bhattacharya launched the #BoycottIndia campaign in mid-January, urging them to join “this monumental endeavour”. His call, emphasizing love of homeland and determination to break free from perceived shackles, resonated with thousands.

​

The anti-India movement has surged online, fuelled by user-generated content. Photos of crossed-out Indian products like Amul butter and Dabur honey are circulating alongside barcode identification tips to boycott these goods. A single post highlighting the 890 prefix used in barcodes for Indian products garnered more than 1,000 shares, showcasing the movement’s online reach.

Why did the campaign gain traction?​

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka declined Al Jazeera’s request for a comment on this anti-India campaign.

At a Mumbai forum on January 30 with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, attendees raised concerns about India’s foreign policy amid perceived shifts in regional dynamics, particularly the growing pull of major rival China on neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and the Maldives.
Jaishankar downplayed concerns about foreign policy shortcomings but conceded the competitive reality. He pointed out that China’s geographical proximity naturally grants it influence over neighbouring countries like the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.



Screengrab from Facebook of online movements advocating boycott of Indian products

State Minister of Information and Broadcasting and lawmaker from the ruling Awami League Mohammad A Arafat, too, dismissed the concerns saying Bangladesh had received global attention because of the unprecedented fact of a fourth term for the ruling government.

“If I have to talk about other country’s interest in our local politics, then the first name I would mention is the United States which even declared a Visa restriction policy based on Bangladesh election. On the other hand, India, from the very onset officially stated that Bangladesh’s election is its internal matter and it has no say in it,” Arafat said.

Obaidul Quader, general secretary of Awami League told Al Jazeera that the “India out” campaign is run by opposition parties who instead of taking part in the election blaming “India for their misfortune.”

“They [the opposition parties] have this trump card of bashing India if anything goes against them,” said Quader, “I don’t think common people of Bangladesh support this campaign. They know that Awami League will never work against the interest of people.”

The burgeoning anti-India campaign, meanwhile, is finding traction within Bangladesh’s domestic political landscape, raising concerns about potentially destabilising Bangladesh’s economy and impacting regional relations.

Gono Odhikar Parishad, a rising political force aligned with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led opposition, is promoting the boycott movement. Party leader Nurul Haque Nur declared at a recent rally in Dhaka that “We all have to start an ‘India Out’ campaign'” while alleging Indian interference in the recent elections.

Rumeen Farhana, international affairs secretary of the BNP, told Al Jazeera that the people of Bangladesh never liked India’s interference in Bangladesh politics. “It’s now crystal clear that India did everything possible to keep the regime in power since 2014,” she alleged.

Resentment against India reached a boiling point in Bangladesh after Hasina’s Awami League secured a resounding victory in the January 7 elections, capturing 223 seats out of 300 in parliament. Critics alleged the process lacked legitimacy due to the opposition’s boycott and the presence of numerous Awami League-backed independent candidates, raising questions about the fairness of the vote.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered swift congratulations to both Hasina and “the people of Bangladesh for the successful conduct of elections”, endorsing the outcome. In contrast, Western governments expressed reservations, highlighting the boycott and the lack of a strong opposition presence.


Facebook Screengrab of calls for a boycott of Indian products in favour of Bangladeshi products

Farhana said anti-India public sentiment in Bangladesh goes beyond politics. “The border killing, unresolved water sharing of 53 rivers including Teesta, trade deficit all play roles to that,” she said.

Around 1,276 Bangladeshis have been killed and 1,183 injured by India’s border forces since 2010, according to human rights organisation Odhikar. Then there are the decades-old unresolved water-sharing agreements for 53 transboundary rivers in addition to Bangladesh’s massive trade deficit with India, all of which have raised concerns about Bangladesh’s sovereignty and economic independence.

Ali Riaz, distinguished professor of politics and government at Illinois State University, told Al Jazeera that India’s unqualified support of the Awami League and Hasina during the 2024 elections has raised questions among many citizens about “whether it has compromised the country’s sovereignty”.

However, Sreeradha Datta, a professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs in Sonepat, India, refuted the claims of India’s “unqualified support” and said the Awami League was “creative in going past the polls even if India [had] not agree[d] to recognise the election”.

“China and so many others congratulated PM Hasina right after the election, so would that make any difference if India didn’t support it?” she asked.

​

The economic fallout​

Analysts, meanwhile, pointed out that boycotting Indian goods could have major repercussions for the economic relationship between the two countries.

India is a major exporter to Bangladesh with annual trade historically exceeding $12bn. Additionally, Bangladesh relies heavily on India for essential commodities, and the two governments are currently in talks on an annual quota of imports of Indian farm products.

Calling the anti-India campaign a “political stunt”, Munshi Faiz Ahmed, former chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, a state-funded think tank, told Al Jazeera that the economic fallout of boycotting Indian products will be more severe for Bangladesh.

“I don’t think any rational Bangladeshi would opt for taking part in this campaign. India is our neighbouring country, and we are heavily dependent on them for our everyday essentials like rice and onions. We are dependent because we get those products at the cheapest prices because of geographical proximity,” Ahmed said, adding that sourcing those products from somewhere else would cost much more.

Jyoti Rahman, an Australia-based economist told Al Jazeera that the “India Out” movement may be politically important to the extent that “it sends a strong message to the Indian policymakers” about growing discontent in Bangladesh but the “economic effects are less clear cut”.

Rahman pointed out that despite being India’s fourth largest export destination, Bangladesh still comprises about 3.5 percent of the Indian export market. “Even if all exports to Bangladesh stopped, it probably wouldn’t significantly affect the Indian economy as these products would find a market elsewhere,” Rahman said.

On the other hand, he said, a fifth of Bangladeshi imports are from India, including essentials such as cotton for the garment manufacturing sector, cereals and produce such as onions. “[Looking at] other sources of imports for these products could stoke inflation further,” Rahman said.

However, he highlighted the potential political effectiveness of boycotting non-essential items like tourism, cultural imports like Bollywood movies and consumer products, which he said could benefit domestic industries.

The overwhelming dependence of Bangladesh on India also means that “Indian businesses are vulnerable if such a movement gains traction and support”, Riaz said.

Even if the economic impacts are limited or not immediate, the boycotts will contribute to the public discourse on the role of India in Bangladeshi politics and highlight the unequal relationship, he said. “This is no less important.”

Additional reporting by Abu Jakir

 

[Saif]

Before 'India out' campaign we need to start 'Hasina out' campaign. Because if Hasina remains in power, she will subserve Indian interest by hook or by crook. So, let's kick Hasina out from Gonobhaban.

 

[Bilal9]

Before 'India out' campaign we need to start 'Hasina out' campaign. Because if Hasina remains in power, she will subserve Indian interest by hook or by crook. So, let's kick Hasina out from Gonobhaban.

Economic Boycott of Indian products have unfortunately become necessary (nay crucial) because the current Indian Central govt. is using the deficit of trade and our dependence on Indian exports as leverage to strong arm Bangladesh and subjugate Bangladesh to her short and long term interests, boycott is a must to make the Indian central govt. understand - that we mean business (literally) and we need to resolve long-term irritants in the external affairs relationship which Indian govt. seems to ignore.

Obviously this has nothing to do with long term relations with the everyday citizens of India. You don't choose who your neighbors are.

But yes - I understand your points and arguments on Hasina as well - who also needs to go because of the reasons you mentioned. She is just buying time at this point, her days may be numbered.

 

[Saif]

Economic Boycott of Indian products have unfortunately become necessary (nay crucial) because the current Indian Central govt. is using the deficit of trade and our dependence on Indian exports as leverage to strong arm Bangladesh and subjugate Bangladesh to her short and long term interests, boycott is a must to make the Indian central govt. understand - that we mean business (literally) and we need to resolve long-term irritants in the external affairs relationship which Indian govt. seems to ignore.

Obviously this has nothing to do with long term relations with the everyday citizens of India. You don't choose who your neighbors are.

But yes - I understand your points and arguments on Hasina as well - who also needs to go because of the reasons you mentioned. She is just buying time at this point, her days may be numbered.

If we can oust Hasina from the power, the new Govt. will definitely restrict Indian export to Bangladesh. We cannot force Indian products out from Bangladesh as long as Hasina remains in power. Hasina will implement her India first policy because she is subservient to India.

 

[Bilal9]

If we can oust Hasina from the power, the new Govt. will definitely restrict Indian export to Bangladesh. We cannot force Indian products out from Bangladesh as long as Hasina remains in power. Hasina will implement her India first policy because she is subservient to India.

I am afraid you are correct on this.

 

[Bilal9]

 

[Saif]

Today's discussion with Hasan Mahmud will strengthen Dhaka-Delhi ties: Jaishankar

Hasan Mahmud is visiting India at the invitation of his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar

www.thedailystar.net

Today's discussion with Hasan Mahmud will strengthen Dhaka-Delhi ties: Jaishankar​

Photo taken from the Indian External Affair Minister S Jaishankar's X account.

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said today that discussions with his Bangladesh counterpart Hasan Mahmud would strengthen Dhaka-Delhi relations.

"Our discussions today will strengthen Bangladesh-India Maitri [friendship]," Jaishankar said in a brief message shared on X, formerly Twitter.

He welcomed Hasan to India.

Hasan Mahmud is visiting India at the invitation of his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar.

He held a meeting with India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on the first day of his visit.

After the meeting, the Awami League Joint General Secretary paid floral tributes at Mahatma Gandhi's cremation ground and memorial square at Rajghat.​

 

[Saif]

Why is Bangladesh Geo-Politically Important?

 

[Saif]

How Can Bangladesh Play Seven Sister Card?

 

[Saif]

Indian way to brainwash Bangladesh's youth by mentioning how Indians helped Bangladesh in their liberation war. Indians always resort to emotional blackmailing by narrating their role in 1971 but remains silent about how BSF kills innocent Bangladeshis on the border. Pathetic.

New Delhi attaches highest priority to friendship with Dhaka

Indian President Droupadi Murmu today said New Delhi attaches the highest priority to its friendship with Dhaka

www.thedailystar.net

New Delhi attaches highest priority to friendship with Dhaka​

Says Indian President Murmu

Photo: X/President of India

Indian President Droupadi Murmu today said New Delhi attaches the highest priority to its friendship with Dhaka.

"We are committed to realising its full potential," she said as a 100-member youth delegation from Bangladesh called on her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, reports our New Delhi correspondent.​

​

Murmu said India and Bangladesh share a unique bond, founded on their history, culture, and sacrifices and India is proud to have been a friend and partner in the Liberation War of Bangladesh and continues to share the development journey with Bangladesh.

"We must preserve and nurture this spirit which inspires the unique bond between our two countries," a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan quoted her as saying.

The president said, "The relationship between India and Bangladesh is a relationship of the heart and soul. We have a deep cultural link, and a common love for art, music, cricket, and food. Our national anthems, both penned by Tagore, are a source of pride. We share the love for 'Baul' music and the works of Kazi Nazrul Islam. Our unity and diversity are celebrated in our shared heritage."

Murmu said she was happy to note that India and Bangladesh is home to a large and energetic youth population, with unlimited potential to shape the world and urged all to harness this potential.
"As the leaders of tomorrow, it is the responsibility of youth to steer us towards a green, sustainable and peaceful world," she added.

The president urged members of the youth delegation from Bangladesh to use the opportunity to experience various aspects of India and its diversity and developments in the fields of science, technology, and arts.

She said that as they work towards building a "Sonar Bangla", they should also strive to strengthen the bonds of peace, prosperity, and friendship between India and Bangladesh.

She said she was happy to interact with a group of young and talented minds from Bangladesh.​

 

[Saif]

India factor and Jan 7 election

THE United Nations has been concerned about the security of small states from the time it came into existence. Its concern was because the large...

www.newagebd.net

India factor and Jan 7 election
by M Serajul Islam | Published: 00:00, Mar 29,2024

THE United Nations has been concerned about the security of small states from the time it came into existence. Its concern was because the large number of states that became independent due to decolonisation and joined the United Nations after it had established following the end of World War II were mostly small states. The United Nations recognised the vulnerability of these small states to threats of the big powers in the UN Charter and reaffirmed it through UNGA Resolution A/RES/49/31 of May 9, 1994.

Resolution A/RES/49/31 stressed, appealed and requested regional and international organisations and the UN secretary general to assist the security of the small states under the UN Charter. The resolution called on the UN Security Council ‘to pay special attention to the protection and security of small states.’

Geography is lopsidedly in India’s favour in South Asia. India is a nuclear power. It is the fifth largest economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product and the third largest by purchasing power parity.

India is, thus, by far the most powerful country in South Asia surrounded by countries small in all respects sans Pakistan, which like India, is a nuclear power. The security syndrome of a small state vis-à-vis a powerful one as highlighted in the UN Charter and UNGA Resolution A/RES/49/31 are palpably present in Bangladesh-India relations. India complicated this syndrome further with its ‘all eggs in the Awami League basket’ foreign policy since 1971 under which it considers the interests and the adversaries of the Awami League as its own.

The January 7 election in Bangladesh highlighted the security syndrome of a small state notwithstanding the UN Charter and the UNGA resolution because the powerful states/organisations do not care about what they profess. The United States sent leading to the election several high-level delegations from the White House and the state department to Dhaka in pursuit of human rights and democracy focused on a free and fair election. The European Union also sent delegations to Dhaka for the same purpose. The spokesperson of the UN secretary general in New York became the beacon of hope for the opposition forces in their struggle for their political and democratic rights.

Bangladesh’s election, therefore, held great promise for overcoming the security syndrome of a small state because the powerful states/organisations appeared serious and committed to the UN Charter and the resolution on the security of small states. They failed to uphold their commitment because in the end, they succumbed to one of their own and allowed it to make a small state more insecure. Bangladesh, following the January 7 election, is now one push away from becoming a one-party state, permanently.

The general secretary of the Awami League spilt the beans. He claimed that ‘India stood strongly by our side’ and stopped the United States, the European Union and the United Nations from playing their ‘evil game’. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Indian government stopped the ‘evil game’ for reasons that the United States, the European Union and the United Nations failed to comprehend. It had to stop the pro-Islam Bangladesh Nationalist Party from gaining power in Bangladesh because it is the antithesis to the Hindutva mantra under which it would fight the crucial 2024 Indian general election. The BJP government worked through the Americans of Indian origin in the White House and the state department to stop the free and fair election that the Biden administration initially promised that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party would have won by a landslide.

The European Union and the United Nations followed the United States and backtracked on their commitment to a free and fair election. They watched the AL regime hold the absurdly surreal election. They also went into denial about the consequences that they had promised if the election was not free and fair.

Most Bangladeshis now, therefore, think that these powers betrayed them. The United States, the European Union and the United Nations walked into India’s game plan. They betrayed the cause of human rights, democracy and free and fair elections in Bangladesh and helped the cause of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Hindutva agenda to help it win India’s general election. They failed miserably to comprehend the Indian factor in the politics of Bangladesh and South Asia.

The January 7 election has been a defining moment, a watershed in Bangladesh-India relations. It flagged India’s unflinching support for the Awami League for which it successfully pursued the Aawami League’s case with the United Nations and the United European and the United Nations to withdraw their pursuit for a free and fair election to strengthen democracy and human rights in Bangladesh. The January 7 election, thus, gave most Bangladeshis a reason to be critical of India and not to be blindly grateful to it for its role in 1971 because it is now obvious to all and sundry that India’s most important interest in Bangladesh is to keep the Awami League in power at any cost.

Most Bangladeshis now believe that their political rights and their security concern as a small state will never go unless India changes its illogical ‘all eggs in the AL basket’ foreign policy. They further believe that they cannot trust the western powers and the United Nations and they must fight for their rights themselves. Anti-India sentiments are present in varying degrees in all the small states in South Asia. The Maldives used it for its successful ‘India Out’ movement. A ‘Boycott India’ movement started in Bangladesh spontaneously out of the disappointment after the January 7 election.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party was initially non-committal to the ‘Boycott India’ movement. It has now put its political weight behind it, sensing its potential. Bangladesh is a huge market for India with the balance of trade heavily in India’s favour. Bangladesh is the fourth largest remittance destination for India. Indians in Bangladesh remitted $10 billion in 2020 although curiously a few Bangladeshis are aware of it. Strategically, Bangladesh is priceless to India’s security concerns on the China factor.

Dramatic developments in information gathering and dissemination technologies such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, et cetera are now exposing India’s ‘all eggs in AL basket policy’ as one against the UN Charter and UNGA Resolution A/RES/49/31 on protecting security concerns of the small states. The surreal policy has stood all these 53 years of Bangladesh-India relations. It has never been tested in the past as it is today due to these technologies that are exposing this policy as the worst obstacle for the development of a healthy and logical Bangladesh-India relations or that between a big and powerful neighbour and a small one. Ironically, India and Bangladesh need each other for a host of geopolitical, historical, environmental and economic reasons.

These technologies are also flagging for all and sundry the failure of the United States, the European Union and the United Nations to understand the Indian factor that is making them break their promises and siding with forces opposing democracy, human rights and free and fair elections. They are now less trustworthy to most Bangladeshis, the United Nations more so because of the Gaza genocide. The United States has been the worst loser due to its inability to grasp the India factor. Most Bangladeshis now regret that they trusted its promises and commitments while the Awami League believes that it is an ‘evil’ power. The much-vaunted Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States has failed miserably because it failed to understand the India factor, succumbed to India and backtracked on its promises to most Bangladeshis.

China assessed the India factor better than the rest. It benefited the most from the January 7 election although its containment was one of the major bedrocks of the US Into-Pacific Strategy. While India was busy convincing the United States to let the Awami League hold the election its way, China moved the closest to the AL regime at a time when it needed a power like China (and Russia) to counter the United Nations and the west. China also correctly assessed that the BJP-led government would not come openly and directly to assist the AL regime as the Congress-led government did in 2014 because the Hindutva mantra on which the Bharatiya Janata Party would be fighting India’s 2024 election perceives Bangladesh as an overwhelmingly Muslim-majority state.

M Serajul Islam is a former career ambassador.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh reclaims 91 bighas of land in Thakurgaon from India

In a landmark development, the Border Guard Bangladesh has successfully reclaimed 91 bighas of land along the Jagdal and Beurajhari borders under Ranishankail upazila in Thakurgaon district, marking the end of a 70-year period under Indian control....

www.newagebd.net

Bangladesh reclaims 91 bighas of land in Thakurgaon from India
United News of Bangladesh . Thakurgaon | Published: 22:15, Apr 09,2024

-- UNB photo.

In a landmark development, the Border Guard Bangladesh has successfully reclaimed 91 bighas of land along the Jagdal and Beurajhari borders under Ranishankail upazila in Thakurgaon district, marking the end of a 70-year period under Indian control.

Lieutenant Colonel Tanjir Ahmed, commander of BGB's 50th Battalion in Thakurgaon, confirmed the development on Tuesday, symbolising the reclaimed territory by hoisting a white flag.

The retrieval was the culmination of a diplomatic and procedural engagement between Bangladesh and India, starting with a formal request by BGB for a land survey.

'This achievement stemmed from our initial identification of certain areas along the Jagdal and Beurajhari borders as rightfully belonging to Bangladesh. Following our appeal, a joint BGB and BSF (Border Security Force) survey corroborated our stance, leading to the restoration of these lands to Bangladesh,' explained Lt Col Tanjir.

The community along the borders has expressed immense joy over the return of the 91 bighas, which have now been recorded in the government's official land documents (khas khatian). The breakdown of the recovered land includes about 15 bighas in the Jagdal BOP (Border Outpost) area and approximately 76 bighas in the Beurajhari BOP area. Notably, 77 bighas of the land are arable, with 11 bighas comprising tea gardens and the remaining three bighas being river chars (riverine islands).

The conclusive joint survey, conducted on March 6 and 7 by the Assistant Survey and Charge Officer of Bangladesh Land Record and Survey Department alongside the Indian Survey Department's Assistant Charge Officer, not only affirmed the 91 bighas for Bangladesh but also recognised 23.5 bighas of land to be in India's favor​

 

[Saif]

Indian foreign secy likely to visit Bangladesh Saturday

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra is likely to visit Bangladesh on Saturday as part of preparations for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi

www.thedailystar.net

Indian foreign secy likely to visit Bangladesh Saturday

File photo

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra is likely to visit Bangladesh on Saturday as part of preparations for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi.

"The prime minister will visit India after the Indian elections that will end by the first week of June. So, our PM's visit will take place either in June or the first week of July," a diplomatic source told The Daily Star today.

During his visit, he will be meeting Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.

There are a lot of preparations that will be required ahead of the high-level state visit, and Vinay Mohan Kwatra will be discussing all the aspects of the bilateral relationship and the possible MoUs and agreements, the source said.

Bangladesh and India are close allies, having robust economic, political, and cultural ties. India considers Bangladesh a key neighbour to connect the northeast Indian states.

Over the last decade, a number of connectivity projects -- road, water, and railways -- through Bangladesh have been implemented to promote trade, transport, and connectivity.

Sheikh Hasina's visit to India is considered very important to further all aspects of the relationship.​

 

[Saif]

Evolution of Bangladesh-India ties

PINAK Ranjan Chakravarty is a visiting fellow of the Observer Research Foundation’s Regional Studies Initiative. The Research Foundation presents itself as...

www.newagebd.net

Evolution of Bangladesh-India ties
Ghulam Suhrawardi 20 April, 2024, 00:00

Transformation: Emergence of Bangladesh and Evolution of India-Bangladesh Ties Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, 1st edn KW Publishers, 2024

PINAK Ranjan Chakravarty is a visiting fellow of the Observer Research Foundation's Regional Studies Initiative. The Research Foundation presents itself as an independent global think tank based in Delhi, India. It has branches in Chennai, Mumbai, and Kolkata. In this regard, it is also important to mention that Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Group, a key ally of Modi and his sectarian BJP political party, is one of the key backers of the foundation.

Among his many important credentials, one of Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty's key milestones was serving as Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh from 2007 to 2009. After Bangladesh, Chakravarty served as India's ambassador to Thailand (2010–2011). Towards the end of his diplomatic career, Chakravarty served as special secretary (public diplomacy) in Delhi before being appointed secretary (economic relations) in the MEA. He retired from service in September 2013.

Chakravarty is a regular contributor to newspapers, journals, and books.

Pinak Chakravarty served in Bangladesh at a crucial time when several dramatic events took place. It was an election year when the country witnessed a de facto military coup and takeover in the guise of a caretaker government. Many argue, and not without justification, that Chakravarty and the country that he represented did not have a cosy relationship with the departing BNP and might have played on behalf of his government in the takeover and the inner workings of the transitional military government.

The then foreign minister and later India's president, Pranab Mukherjee, stated in his book The Coalition Years that he had a close relationship with the then opposition leader, Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League, and that, if Hasina returned to power, he assured the then coup leader, General Moyeen U Ahmed, the Bangladesh army chief and leader of the coup who initially took both Begum Khaleda Zia, the departing prime minister, and Shiekh Hasina on corruption charges, that he would ensure no harm is done to the chief.

The 2008 election, which several observers had claimed was 'free but not fair,' brought Sheikh Hasina to power in 2009 and has remained in power ever since. Three more elections have followed since 2009, all of which were rigged, and many suspect with Indian help.

This is the backdrop of Pinak Chakravarty's presence and the role he might have played then, as the high commissioner of India in Bangladesh, at a time when Pranab Mukherjee was India's foreign minister who, by his own admission, played a key role in the internal affairs of Bangladesh at the time. This makes Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty's book, Transformation: Emergence of Bangladesh and Evolution of India-Bangladesh Ties, an interesting, if not curious, read.

In his book, Chakravarty summarised the domestic development in Bangladesh and its impact on bilateral ties. He traces the history of Bengal, the partition, and the birth of Bangladesh as a new nation in the subcontinent. He also discussed the political turmoil that ensued with the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of the independent nation. Mujib inspired the liberation struggle and is popularly called Bangabandhu (Friend of Bengal), who is also the father of the nation.

The book covers the period he served as the high commissioner of India in Bangladesh, 2007–2009, when Bangladesh was embroiled in a number of crises, including political intervention by the military, the conflict between secularism and Islamist nationalism (this coincided with west-initiated Islamophobia), the ethnic separatist Chakma revolt in the south-east of Bangladesh, and communal tensions, risking Bangladesh's democratic journey and sustaining the amazing economic recovery that Bangladesh had by then achieved and was transforming itself from an 'international basket case' to a miracle economy.

The book duly acknowledges these political and economic dynamics and discusses the complex India-Bangladesh relations at great length. In particular, the book pays glowing tribute to prime minister Sheikh Hasina's remarkable contributions to transforming and strengthening Bangladesh-India relations, arguing that with yet another five-year term (thanks to rigged elections and India's blessings she has already served three terms since 2009), she will guide and cement further Bangladesh's future policies and ties with India. The book's twelve chapters mainly delve into India's interests and perspectives on India-Bangladesh ties.

The book was launched on March 28, 2024, at the meeting room of the Observer Research Foundation, which included an interactive session in which several speakers, including the former foreign secretary of Bangladesh, Shahidul Haque, participated.

While recounting his own experiences in Bangladesh and the vital role India played in shaping the politics of Bangladesh, Chakravarty explains how these Indian interventions that occurred during 2007–2009 and secured and entrenched the Hasina government that served India's interests are paying dividends even now. For example, Chakravarty elaborated on how India's intervention in Bangladesh's most recent elections, held on January 7, 2024, staved off America's insistence on and demand for free and fair elections. Indeed, thanks to India's forceful intervention, the overactive US ambassador Peter Hass, who enthusiastically canvassed for a free and fair election and supported, albeit indirectly, the opposition's demand for a non-party caretaker government to hold elections, was eventually subdued and silenced, and his and the opposition's demand for a caretaker government was never met.

The January 7, 2024, elections were held under the supervision of the government, and the opposition boycotted the election with the result that the ruling party has 'won' yet another election as they have since 2009, turning Bangladesh into a virtual one-party authoritarian system with all the paraphernalia of democracy and, as could be expected, an India-compliant state.

In the context of the above, when someone asked Chakravarty during the book launch whether the absence of the opposition in the election had not challenged its legitimacy, he answered, 'If the opposition does not participate in the election, it does not negate the winner, the Awami League... and it is not fair to blame the winning party', while carefully avoiding the context that dissuaded the opposition from participating.

Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty's behind-the-scenes role during the critical military transition government of Bangladesh's pre-2009 election is a point of contention with opposition leaders. The group also questions Indian president (then foreign minister) Pranab Mukherjee's role in influencing the takeover by their favourite in Bangladesh, the compliant Awami League, whose leader Shiekh Hasina once publicly claimed, 'India can never pay back the favours I have given.'

The opposition parties in Bangladesh feel, and quite rightly, that thanks to the role India played via the then-Indian high commissioner in Bangladesh, Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, Bangladesh has since transformed itself from a sovereign state to a virtual vassal state of India, which, among other things, has put India's interests above those of Bangladesh and shoved democracy in Bangladesh into oblivion.

People in Bangladesh are angry at India, which in recent times has given rise to a 'Boycott India' movement where people are being encouraged to stop buying Indian products, and it is working.

As a matter of fact, if Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty's book has done one favour to the people of Bangladesh, it is that their suspicion that India's not-so-invisible hands have been active since 2007 and counting in manipulating and catapulting a government of their choice, which in the process has entrenched India in Bangladesh economically and politically, has been revealed adequately and eloquently.

Ghulam Suhrawardi is the publisher of the South Asia Journal.

​

 

[Saif]

INDIA's BANGLADESH POLICY WON'T WORK IN FUTURE - BANGALDESH ARMY HAS SOME CARDS

 

[Saif]

India is sending top official to Dhaka to stop China Bangladesh military drills and Teesta Project.

 

[Saif]

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/kwatras-visit-is-expected-to-further-strengthen-bilateral-ties-indian-govt

Kwatra's visit is expected to further strengthen bilateral ties: Indian Govt
UNB
Published :
May 09, 2024 20:45
Updated :
May 09, 2024 20:45

India has said its Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra's just concluded visit is expected to further strengthen bilateral ties and impart momentum to the cooperation in diverse areas.

"Bangladesh is India's leading development partner and its largest trade partner in the region," said the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday.

The Foreign Secretary paid an official visit to Bangladesh from May 8-9.

This was the first official visit to Bangladesh after the formation of the new government in January 2024.

During the visit, Foreign Secretary called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud.

He also met his counterpart Masud Bin Momen.

The visit to Bangladesh is keeping in line with the highest priority accorded to India's 'Neighbourhood First' Policy.

During the visit, the Foreign Secretary reviewed the wide-ranging bilateral relationship including political and security, water, trade and investment, power and energy, defence, connectivity and sub-regional cooperation.​

 

[Bilal9]

New Delhi's foreign policy has evolved from the Cold War to the present day. India is aiming to maintain its position as a regional leader in South Asia despite challenges from external influences and its own errors. But increasing Chinese influence and tensions caused by mishandled political developments have strained New Delhi's ties with its neighbours. The need for New Delhi is to respect its neighbours, combat hyper-nationalism and focus on leading, rather than policing, the region.

India’s regional challenges | East Asia Forum

New Delhi must improve its ties with South Asian neighbours to maintain its role as a key player in the region.

eastasiaforum.org

 

[Bilal9]

India is sending top official to Dhaka to stop China Bangladesh military drills and Teesta Project.

I guess some feathers finally started getting ruffled ?

Or is it their typical MoFA over-reaction in New Delhi?

 

[Saif]

I guess some feathers finally started getting ruffled ?

Or is it their typical MoFA over-reaction in New Delhi?

It is clearly an over reaction in New Delhi. Bangladesh and China are going to conduct an anti terrorism drill which is not detrimental to India's national security.

 

[Saif]

One Indian youtuber has talked about 'how Bangladesh could be a threat to India' and 'how India should tackle such threat' in the future.

 

[Saif]

India making efforts to keep Bangladesh under control: Fakhrul

India's continuous efforts to control Bangladesh instead of resolving water-sharing issues with its neighbours have been criticized by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who accused the current regime of failing to stand up for the people's interests.

en.prothomalo.com

India making efforts to keep Bangladesh under control: Fakhrul
UNB
Published: 16 May 2024, 21: 14

Mirza Fakhrul Islam AlamgirFile photo

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday alleged that neighbouring India has been continuously making efforts to keep Bangladesh under its control instead of resolving the pressing issue of water-sharing of common trans-border rivers.

Speaking at a discussion meeting on Farakka Long March Day, he also criticised the Awami League government for its failure to take action in resolving the water problem with India, stating that the current regime has been in power solely to secure the interests of its foreign master.

"We see that our neighbour (India) has always been carrying out all their activities to keep Bangladesh under control, since its birth. Not only the Farakka dam, not the Ganga water, but they have always been negligent in the water distribution of 154 common rivers. They're not resolving the problem," Fakhrul said.

He mentioned that the current Awami League government has long been buying time, promising the country's people to ink the Teesta water-sharing deal without success.

"The root cause of this failure lies in the fact that this is completely a subservient regime. It has consistently failed to take a stand in favour of the people's interests as they are extremely feeble in dealing with India."

Bhasani Anusari Parishad arranged the programme at the National Press Club, marking the historic 'Farakka Long-March Day', commemorating populist leader Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani's long march towards the Farakka Dam 48 years ago.

On 16 May, 1976, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani led a massive long march from Rajshahi towards India's Farakka barrage, demanding the demolition of the barrage constructed by the Indian government to divert the flow of Ganges water inside its territory.

Fakhrul said the current government's only job is to protect their own interests and those of their masters by repressing the country's people since it usurped power through a unilateral election.

'How will they (AL govt) resolve the problems of the Teesta and Farakka? How will they resolve the water-sharing problem of other common rivers? Because they captured power with special assignments (by others)," he observed.

In such a situation, the BNP leader said the people of Bangladesh must stand on their own feet to restore their lost democratic rights.

He said the BNP and many other opposition parties have been carrying out struggles for the restoration of the democratic rights of people. "For this, many of us have sacrificed our lives and many of us have to endure oppression and persecution."

Fakhrul also said there is now no alternative path to waging a united movement by all opposition parties rising above division and misunderstanding among them for ousting the current monstrous regime.

"We must move forward in unison in our own interests to reach our desired goal. No one will do it for us; we have to do it ourselves."

He said the government jailed BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia by implicating her in false cases and filed cases against 60 lakh leaders and activists of the party to hang onto power. "Oppression and arrests are still ongoing...our leaders and activists are being convicted and sent to jail."

The BNP leader said the Awami League has retained power by manipulating elections through various tactics as it knows it will face a massive debacle in a free, fair and credible election.​

 

[Saif]

India involved in damaging democracy in Bangladesh: Oli

Liberal Democratic Party president Oli Ahmad on Saturday alleged that the Indian government was directly and indirectly responsible for the damage of democracy and...

www.newagebd.net

India involved in damaging democracy in Bangladesh: Oli
Staff Correspondent 19 May, 2024, 00:23

Oli Ahmad | File photo

Liberal Democratic Party president Oli Ahmad on Saturday alleged that the Indian government was directly and indirectly responsible for the damage of democracy and the establishment of dictatorship in Bangladesh.

'We know that the Indian government is very concerned about the security of its seven eastern states. I would like to tell them, we do not want to stick our nose into any other country's affairs,' Oli told a press conference at his Maghbazar party office.

The press conference was held following a liaison committee meeting with the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

'It is our hope that the government of India will refrain from associating itself with any particular person or party, and will focus on establishing friendship between the people of India and the people of Bangladesh. Let us complement each other and live as good neighbours,' he said.

The government of India should not act hostile towards the people of Bangladesh, he said, adding that the 18 crores people of Bangladesh wanted to be good neighbours.

'The present government [Bangladesh] has allowed you to use the sea ports, land ports and various roads of our country. A number of unbalanced agreements have also been signed. As a result of which Bangladesh is suffering,' he said.

The LDP is in the simultaneous movement against the government led by the BNP and for the first time BNP leaders were present at any press conference of the LDP.

BNP vice chairman Mohammad Shahjahan was sitting next to Oli Ahmad, while BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan was also supposed to be there, but he reportedly did not attend as his wife was ill.

Oli said that the LDP would announce the new programme under the leadership of the BNP as soon as possible.

'We have been protesting against the current government in a movement led by the BNP for a long time. As soon as possible we will announce the new programme under the leadership of BNP,' he said, adding that new possibilities would open in the country.

Responding to a question about various parties' reluctance regarding co-opting the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in the simultaneous movement, he said eloquently, 'It is cow which is needed to plough the field; even if it is a weak cow, you need it. One cannot plough the field with a goat.'

'We have seen the last 10–20 years. Everyone knows what we have achieved. Now you understand what is needed, I also understand. We have 62 parties here. How many of these parties have the strength to march down the street?' he said, adding that there were some parties which stand in names only.

When asked why the movement to bring down the government was not successful, Oli said, 'BNP secretary general can answer why we did not succeed. I don't have an answer for that because I'm a small party's leader devoid of any shields and swords.'

When asked whether he gave any advice to the BNP, Oli Ahmad said, 'The advice to the BNP was given in the meeting. It will not be possible to say in front of everyone.'​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh springs up in discussions amid polls in India

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal raises concerns over Indian democracy, compares it to Bangladesh amid Lok Sabha polls

en.prothomalo.com

Bangladesh springs up in discussions amid polls in India
Saumya BandyopadhyayNew Delhi
Published: 25 May 2024, 16: 54

Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal Screengrab from a Facebook video

Bangladesh is suddenly cropping up in talks across India amid the ongoing Lok Sabha polls for two different reasons. Such widespread coverage of Bangladesh in almost all Indian news media for such a long period of time is probably unprecedented.

The killing of ruling Awami League lawmaker Anwarul Azim in Kolkata got massive coverage in the news media across all states over the last few days.

While the police and intelligence of the two countries are busy unravelling the mystery behind the killing, Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal brought up Bangladesh in his political debate. He openly admitted that if Narendra Modi comes to power for the third consecutive term, then the Indian democracy will be like that of Bangladesh.

if Modi becomes the prime minister again, then it will be the end of democracy in India. He referred to Bangladesh to explain the possible consequence of the ruling party forming the government again.

They (BJP) will amend the constitution and the country will move towards dictatorship Either there will be no elections, or the elections will be like those in Russia, where Vladimir Putin has either put the entire opposition in jail or has got them killed. Elections were held only after that and he bagged 87 per cent votes. In Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina put everyone (opposition activists) in jail and won by a landslide margin Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of Delhi.

He is not bringing up the example of Bangladesh only in rallies or road shows. He brought up Bangladesh even during an interview with an India newspaper, The Indian Express on Friday. There, too, he put the democracy of the neighbouring ally on the same seat as Russia and Pakistan.

Arvind Kejriwal was asked about the possible aftermath, if Modi becomes the prime minister for the third time.

In response he said, "They (BJP) will amend the constitution and the country will move towards dictatorship. Either there will be no elections, or the elections will be like those in Russia, where Vladimir Putin has either put the entire opposition in jail or has got them killed. Elections were held only after that and he bagged 87 per cent votes. In Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina put everyone (opposition activists) in jail and won by a landslide margin."

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh-India trade dynamics

It was 50 years ago when Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, visited the Indian capital, New Delhi, at the invitation of Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India. The five-day visit from May 12 to 16, 1974, was the second and the last and most critical o

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Bangladesh-India trade dynamics
ASJADUL KIBRIA
Published :
May 25, 2024 23:01
Updated :
My 26, 2024 21:43

It was 50 years ago when Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, visited the Indian capital, New Delhi, at the invitation of Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India. The five-day visit from May 12 to 16, 1974, was the second and the last and most critical official visit to India. Two years before, he visited Kolkata from February 6 to 8, 1972. In between the two trips, many critical developments took place. These include Indian PM Indira Gandhi's visit to Bangladesh from March 17 to March 19, 1972; the singing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace between the two countries in 1972; the singing of the bilateral trade agreement in 1972, and the singing of the protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade in 1972.

During Bangabandhu's visit to India in 1974, several critical issues were discussed by the heads of the two governments. Regarding the bilateral trade issue, two parties agreed to set up two joint commissions to improve the jute sector and curb unauthorised transactions. The two parties also agreed to make the optimal use of a Balanced Trade and Payments Arrangement (BTPA). The arrangement was included in the three-year bilateral trade agreement, which replaced the first bilateral trade agreement, signed in 1972 and expired in September 1973. The agreement provided an opportunity for border trade between the two countries. It allowed people living up to 16 km on either side of the border to dispose of their goods daily. There was no customs and currency regulation for the border trade. The only restriction was the specific number of commodities. The agreement also provided an opportunity for a balanced rupee trade worth Rs. 250 million (or US $35 million) each way annually. In the new three-year trade agreement that became effective after the expiration of the first agreement in September 1973, two parties agreed to enhance the balanced trade to Rs. 305 million (US$ 42 million) worth of exports each way during the first year of the deal.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Dhaka, Delhi to further boost travel of nationals from both sides

Bangladesh and India have agreed to further strengthen the bilateral Revised Travel Arrangement (RTA) to facilitate movement of nationals from both sides

www.thedailystar.net

Dhaka, Delhi to further boost travel of nationals from both sides

Photo: UNB

Bangladesh and India have agreed to further strengthen the bilateral Revised Travel Arrangement (RTA) to facilitate movement of nationals from both sides.

Both sides reiterated their commitment to continue promoting people-to-people exchanges.

The agreement came at the 4th round of India-Bangladesh Consular Dialogue in New Delhi on Wednesday, according to a message received here.

Dr Aman Puri, joint secretary (CPV), led the Indian delegation, while the delegation from Bangladesh side was led by Rokebul Haque, director general (South Asia), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

The India-Bangladesh Consular dialogue mechanism was instituted in 2017 with a purpose to strengthen people to people contacts by having a regular channel of communication on consular, visa and mutual legal assistance cooperation matters between India and Bangladesh.

The two sides held wide-ranging discussions on mechanisms to strengthen coordination and cooperation on consular issues, visa matters, repatriation, MLAT and Extradition cases, etc.

They agreed to hold the next round of the dialogue in Dhaka on a mutually convenient date.​

 

[Saif]

India now wants to run Mongla port

Neighbouring India now wants to operate Bangladesh's second-seaport Mongla where it already enjoys transhipment facility to transport cargoes to and from its landlocked north-eastern states, sources said. The proposal is being seen as part of their expanding footprint in strategically import

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

India now wants to run Mongla port
Currently enjoys trade transhipment
SYFUL ISLAM
Published :
Jun 01, 2024 00:02
Updated :
Jun 01, 2024 00:02

Neighbouring India now wants to operate Bangladesh's second-seaport Mongla where it already enjoys transhipment facility to transport cargoes to and from its landlocked north-eastern states, sources said.

The proposal is being seen as part of their expanding footprint in strategically important Asian ports.

To pursue the plan, a delegation of India Ports Global Limited (IPGL), an entity under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, visited the Mongla seaport, days before striking a long-term deal to operate Chabahar port in Iran in mid-May.

In April this year, India also secured right to operate Sittwe Port in Myanmar, which will also be managed by IPGL.

Managing Director of IPGL Sunil Mukundan led the Indian delegation to Mongla port where he expressed interest in operating the seaport. The delegation members included other high officials from the IPGL and also some officials from the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

They had a meeting with Lieutenant Colonel Md Firoz Al Wahid, Chief Engineer (Mechanical & Electrical), Mongla Port Authority, and his team after visiting the jetties and other facilities of the port.

Contacted, Mr Wahid told the FE Thursday that the Indian delegation expressed interest in operating the port.

"We welcomed their offer and asked them to submit their proposal in writing," he said.

Mr Wahid said once received, the port authority would evaluate the pros and cons of the proposal before taking a decision.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Looking forward to working together to further strengthen people-centric partnership with Bangladesh: Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her warm wishes following his election victory. "India and Bangladesh share historic relations, which have seen unprecedented growth in the last decade," Modi said. In a message shared through X, formerly known as Tw

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Looking forward to working together to further strengthen people-centric partnership with Bangladesh: Modi
Published :
Jun 05, 2024 23:22
Updated :
Jun 05, 2024 23:22

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her warm wishes following his election victory.

"India and Bangladesh share historic relations, which have seen unprecedented growth in the last decade," Modi said.

In a message shared through X, formerly known as Twitter, Modi said he looks forward to working together to further strengthen the people-centric partnership between Bangladesh and India, reports UNB.

Narendra Modi invited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to attend the swearing-in ceremony of his government, to be held June 8.

Sheikh Hasina accepted the invitation.

Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina congratulated Narendra Modi on the resounding victory of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) inLok Sabah elections.

"As the leader of the largest democracy in the world, you carry the hopes and aspirations of the people of India," she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a congratulatory telephone call from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the victory of NDA in the 18th Lok Sabha elections, according to Press Information Bureau of India.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate the Prime Minister Modi, reflecting the warmth and personal rapport between the two leaders, it said.

The two leaders pledged to continue working together to further deepen the historic and close ties under the renewed mandate towards achieving under the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and Smart Bangladesh 2041.

They acknowledged the significant improvements achieved in the lives of the people of both countries in the last decade and looked forward to further enhancing the transformative relationship across all domains that include economic and development partnership, energy security, connectivity including digital linkages and people-to-people contacts among others.​

 

[Saif]

Hasina to attend Modi’s swearing-in ceremony

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave for New Delhi tomorrow to attend her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony at his invitation.

www.thedailystar.net

Hasina to attend Modi's swearing-in ceremony

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave for New Delhi tomorrow to attend her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony at his invitation.

PM's Speechwriter M Nazrul Islam yesterday confirmed her joining the ceremony slated for Sunday. She will return home on June 10, he added.

Modi is likely to take oath as the prime minister of India for the historic third term in a row on June 9 after his BJP-led NDA alliance won the election to Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian parliament.

Hasina and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe are among the foreign leaders who have been invited to Modi's oath-taking ceremony.

Earlier, Modi invited Hasina to attend the swearing-in ceremony of his government and she accepted the invitation.

Modi has thanked PM Hasina for her warm wishes following his election victory.

Hasina was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Modi, reflecting the warmth and personal rapport between the two leaders.

"India and Bangladesh share historic relations, which have seen unprecedented growth in the last decade," Modi said.

In a message shared through X, Modi said he looks forward to working together to further strengthen the people-centric partnership between Bangladesh and India.

Modi received a congratulatory telephone call from Hasina for the victory of NDA, according to the Press Information Bureau of India.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Hasina, Modi want to deepen ties further

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi expressed their desire that the existing bilateral relations between the two...

www.newagebd.net

Hasina, Modi want to deepen ties further
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . New Delhi 10 June, 2024, 10:55

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi expressed their desire that the existing bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries would be further strengthened in the future.

'The two leaders have expressed their hopes that the existing bilateral relations between Bangladesh-India will be deepened further in the days to come,' foreign minister Hasan Mahmud told a news briefing in the early hours of on Monday.

The expectations came at a one-to-one meeting (tete-e-tete) between the two prime ministers after the swearing-in ceremony of the cabinet of the Modi government at Rashtrapati Bhaban on Sunday evening.

During the meeting held in a very warm and friendly atmosphere, the Bangladesh prime minister invited her Indian counterpart to visit Dhaka at his convenient time, Hasan said.

The bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India have reached a new height under the prudent leadership of Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi, he said.

The foreign minister said that the two premiers later attended a banquet hosted by Indian president Smt Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Senior Indian ministers, Bangladesh delegation, the invited heads of the other governments and states attended the dinner where they had brief interactions, he said.

Hasan said that they also had exchanged pleasantries at that time.

Replying to a query about expectations from each other as the Modi government has run his state for the last 10 years along with Sheikh Hasina's tenure for already 15 years in Bangladesh, the foreign minister said that Bangladesh and India had multifaceted relations.

'Many issues are involved between the two countries. As both the governments continue, there are some benefits in doing work together,' he said.

The people from both countries benefit in terms of different aspects that include connectivity from the friendly relations of both nations, he added.

'Our multi-dimensional deep relations will spread and be consolidated further in the future,' Hasan hoped.

Bangladesh high commissioner to India Md Mustafizur Rahman and PM's press secretary M Nayeemul Islam Khan were present, among others, at the briefing.

Sheikh Hasina also held separate meetings with the president of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe and union minister of India and its former external affairs minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi on Monday morning.

The Bangladesh prime minister arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the new Indian government at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.​

 

[Saif]

India now wants to run Mongla port

India now wants to run Mongla port
SYFUL ISLAM | Saturday, 1 June 2024

Neighboring India now wants to operate Bangladesh's second-seaport Mongla where it already enjoys transshipment facility to transport cargoes to and from its landlocked north-eastern states, sources said.

The proposal is being seen as part of their expanding footprint in strategically important Asian ports.

To pursue the plan, a delegation of India Ports Global Limited (IPGL), an entity under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, visited the Mongla seaport, days before striking a long-term deal to operate Chabahar port in Iran in mid-May.

In April this year, India also secured right to operate Sittwe Port in Myanmar, which will also be managed by IPGL.

Managing Director of IPGL Sunil Mukundan led the Indian delegation to Mongla port where he expressed interest in operating the seaport. The delegation members included other high officials from the IPGL and also some officials from the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

They had a meeting with Lieutenant Colonel Md Firoz Al Wahid, Chief Engineer (Mechanical & Electrical), Mongla Port Authority, and his team after visiting the jetties and other facilities of the port.

Contacted, Mr Wahid told the FE Thursday that the Indian delegation expressed interest in operating the port.

"We welcomed their offer and asked them to submit their proposal in writing," he said.

Mr Wahid said once received, the port authority would evaluate the pros and cons of the proposal before taking a decision.

However, the port authority has yet to receive a formal proposal from the IPGL authorities.

"So far we did not receive any written proposal from the Indian company," Mongla Port Authority chairman Rear Admiral Shaheen Rahman told the FE Thursday.

The IPGL Managing Director, Sunil Mukundan, told the FE correspondent over the telephone on Friday that he visited a number of Asian ports, including those in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, in recent months with the aim of expansion of business.

"But this is a government-to-government matter," he said, adding: "I am yet to submit a report on the visit to our government."

Mr Mukundan said the plan could advance only after governments of the two countries would take decision jointly. "I will write a formal letter after getting directives from the government."

In the recent past the government decided to invite foreign investments in the port sectors through appointing globally reputed port operators. Already, the newly-built Patenga Container Terminal has been handed over to Jeddah-based Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) for operation.

Abu Dhabi Ports Group, PSA Singapore, DP World, and local East Coast Group and its partners have lined up to invest more than US$8 billion for construction of Bay Terminal. Also, Danish port giant Maersk Group will invest $400 million in building Laldia Container Terminal in Chittagong.

The Mongla seaport presently has five jetties where both container and bulk-carrier ships are handled. Two more jetties are under construction to expand its capacity as shippers are showing increased interest in using the port after construction of the Padma Bridge that shortened its distance with the capital.

The port is set to get rail connection soon, facilitating faster and cheaper transportation of cargoes and containers.

In April last year, Bangladesh granted permanent transit and transhipment facility to India to transport cargoes to its seven-sister states by using Chittagong and Mongla seaports.

The Mongla port is strategically important with both India and China having come forward to finance the upgrading and modernisation of its facilities, including the construction of terminals.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.
​

 

[Saif]

Indian firm to upgrade Mongla port

Egis India Consulting Engineers Private Limited has been appointed as consultant for a capacity building project worth Tk 6,014 crore at Mongla port, the second largest seaport in Bangladesh.

www.thedailystar.net

Indian firm to upgrade Mongla port
Agreement signed for the Tk 6,014cr project

Once the project is implemented, Mongla port will be able to handle 1,800 vessels and 50 lakh tonnes of cargo annually, according to the port authority, while the port's annual revenue is expected to increase by Tk 150 crore. Photo: Anisur Rahman

Egis India Consulting Engineers Private Limited has been appointed as consultant for a capacity building project worth Tk 6,014 crore at Mongla port, the second largest seaport in Bangladesh.

The Mongla Port Authority (MPA) and Egis India yesterday signed the related agreement, styled "Upgradation of Mongla port", at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden in the capital.

Of the estimated Tk 6,014 crore project, the government will finance Tk 1,555 crore from its own coffer while India will provide Tk 4,459 crore as assistance under its line of credit.

The project is scheduled to be complete by July 30, 2024.

The upgradation works include constructing a container terminal, handling and delivery yards, a residential complex and community facilities, marine workshop, multi-storey car lots, service jetty, and more.

Besides, the MPA will procure eight vessels to support port operations, such as loading and unloading goods from larger ships.

Once implemented, Mongla port will be able to handle 1,800 vessels, 50 lakh tonnes of cargo, 4 lakh twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEUs) containers and 10,000 vehicles annually, according to the MPA.

In addition, the port's annual revenue is expected to increase by Tk 150 crore while that of related customs and other agencies could grow by as much as Tk 3,000 crore.

Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, chairman of the MPA, and Laurent Germain, chief executive officer of Egis India, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective parties.

Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, the state minister for shipping, was present as chief guest while Pranay Verma, the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, acted as a special guest.

Chowdhury said the seaport will achieve new heights in regards to handling import-export cargo once the upgradation work is complete.

"Mongla port will move closer to Chattogram port's capacity. Not just Bangladesh, but neighbouring nations will also benefit from the port," he added.

The shipping minister went on to say that the project will help expand business and employment opportunities in the country through enhanced multimodal connectivity.​

 

[Saif]

PM likely to visit India on June 21

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to visit India on June 21 less than 15 days after attending the inauguration of her counterpart Narendra Modi’s third term on June 9. The prime ministers of the two countries are expected to hold bilateral meetings on the following day at the Hyderabad

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

PM likely to visit India on June 21
She is expected visit Beijing after New Delhi
Published :
Jun 15, 2024 14:21
Updated :
Jun 15, 2024 14:21

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to visit India on June 21 less than 15 days after attending the inauguration of her counterpart Narendra Modi's third term on June 9.
The prime ministers of the two countries are expected to hold bilateral meetings on the following day at the Hyderabad House, local news portals said on Saturday citing diplomatic sources at Dhaka and New Delhi.

Besides, a foreign ministry official said, Sheikh Hasina is expected to visit China on July 8. She will hold bilateral meetings Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang.​

 

[Bilal9]

India now wants to run Mongla port

Neighbouring India now wants to operate Bangladesh's second-seaport Mongla where it already enjoys transhipment facility to transport cargoes to and from its landlocked north-eastern states, sources said. The proposal is being seen as part of their expanding footprint in strategically import

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

India now wants to run Mongla port
Currently enjoys trade transhipment
SYFUL ISLAM
Published :
Jun 01, 2024 00:02
Updated :
Jun 01, 2024 00:02

View attachment 6221

Neighbouring India now wants to operate Bangladesh's second-seaport Mongla where it already enjoys transhipment facility to transport cargoes to and from its landlocked north-eastern states, sources said.

The proposal is being seen as part of their expanding footprint in strategically important Asian ports.

To pursue the plan, a delegation of India Ports Global Limited (IPGL), an entity under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, visited the Mongla seaport, days before striking a long-term deal to operate Chabahar port in Iran in mid-May.

In April this year, India also secured right to operate Sittwe Port in Myanmar, which will also be managed by IPGL.

Managing Director of IPGL Sunil Mukundan led the Indian delegation to Mongla port where he expressed interest in operating the seaport. The delegation members included other high officials from the IPGL and also some officials from the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

They had a meeting with Lieutenant Colonel Md Firoz Al Wahid, Chief Engineer (Mechanical & Electrical), Mongla Port Authority, and his team after visiting the jetties and other facilities of the port.

Contacted, Mr Wahid told the FE Thursday that the Indian delegation expressed interest in operating the port.

"We welcomed their offer and asked them to submit their proposal in writing," he said.

Mr Wahid said once received, the port authority would evaluate the pros and cons of the proposal before taking a decision.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

This is insane. The clueless Bangladeshi officials should always look at reciprocity. If India lets Bangladesh operate one of their ports, then this can be a matter of discussion. Otherwise, no cigar. India is not Dubai or Singapore, their port standards are the worst globally. This is a fact, not opinion.

How does the Indian side even propose something like this , is beyond me. Their ports (even private ones) are probably the most inefficiently run ports, and forget about container throughput standards.

The container throughput of the entire collection of East Coast Indian ports (Kolkata Haldia, Chennai, Vizag et al) is below that of Chittagong, ONE port in Bangladesh (over three and a half million TEU yearly and going up 20% when new jetties (Patenga) were added.

Then we have other ports like Mongla, expansion of jetties in Chittagong, and a massive new port coming up in Matarbari. I think Indians need to run their own ports efficiently first, before they propose to run ports in other countries. Khayesh and Khayali Pulau are some things, and reality is another.

Clearly "control" is at play here, not running ports.

 

[Bilal9]

Indian firm to upgrade Mongla port

Egis India Consulting Engineers Private Limited has been appointed as consultant for a capacity building project worth Tk 6,014 crore at Mongla port, the second largest seaport in Bangladesh.

www.thedailystar.net

Indian firm to upgrade Mongla port
Agreement signed for the Tk 6,014cr project

View attachment 6416
Once the project is implemented, Mongla port will be able to handle 1,800 vessels and 50 lakh tonnes of cargo annually, according to the port authority, while the port's annual revenue is expected to increase by Tk 150 crore. Photo: Anisur Rahman

Egis India Consulting Engineers Private Limited has been appointed as consultant for a capacity building project worth Tk 6,014 crore at Mongla port, the second largest seaport in Bangladesh.

The Mongla Port Authority (MPA) and Egis India yesterday signed the related agreement, styled "Upgradation of Mongla port", at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden in the capital.

Of the estimated Tk 6,014 crore project, the government will finance Tk 1,555 crore from its own coffer while India will provide Tk 4,459 crore as assistance under its line of credit.

The project is scheduled to be complete by July 30, 2024.

The upgradation works include constructing a container terminal, handling and delivery yards, a residential complex and community facilities, marine workshop, multi-storey car lots, service jetty, and more.

Besides, the MPA will procure eight vessels to support port operations, such as loading and unloading goods from larger ships.

Once implemented, Mongla port will be able to handle 1,800 vessels, 50 lakh tonnes of cargo, 4 lakh twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEUs) containers and 10,000 vehicles annually, according to the MPA.

In addition, the port's annual revenue is expected to increase by Tk 150 crore while that of related customs and other agencies could grow by as much as Tk 3,000 crore.

Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, chairman of the MPA, and Laurent Germain, chief executive officer of Egis India, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective parties.

Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, the state minister for shipping, was present as chief guest while Pranay Verma, the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, acted as a special guest.

Chowdhury said the seaport will achieve new heights in regards to handling import-export cargo once the upgradation work is complete.

"Mongla port will move closer to Chattogram port's capacity. Not just Bangladesh, but neighbouring nations will also benefit from the port," he added.

The shipping minister went on to say that the project will help expand business and employment opportunities in the country through enhanced multimodal connectivity.​

Useless project and money down the drain. India does not manufacture even one significant piece of container handling equipment (unlike China or other EU countries), so how they will "improve" container handling is beyond me.

And why this AL govt. awards projects to Indian firms is also questionable to me. The pedigree and experience of this Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury guy as a shipping minister was always open to debate, and now he has been proven to be "on the take" as well.

Look at the math. Tk 6,014 crore project and at an annual return in improvement of Tk. 150 crore. It will take roughly 40 years to pay this off to India with interest. Even that rate of return is questionable.

 

[Bilal9]

This is easily the most common view of India from Bangladesh, paid back in the same coin.

Until successive Indian govts. learn to respect a sovereign nation like Bangladesh in a mature manner, it will continue to be #IndiaOut, always.

We don't relish disrespecting a whole govt. but until things improve, populists in Bangladesh will continue to hold this opinion.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

View from Bangladesh: How Grateful is India?

One Bangladeshi writer laments how India disrespects his nation despite it being grateful for Delhi's help in his country's liberation war. "Our neighboring nation should have had a more mature attitude after all these years," he says.
By Ekram Kabir

I hope all of you remember how Mandira Bedi expressed her dissatisfaction on a show with Charu Sharma on SET Max TV when, to her displeasure, Bangladesh beat India. That was in 2007. God knows how many times she uttered the word "minnow" while talking about the Bangladesh team.

She was very rude, full of ridicule for Bangladesh's win. More than a billion viewers watched her anger as she fumed with jealousy against Bangladesh as if she was trying to say that it was okay to lose against anyone -- West Indies, Australia, England -- but NOT to BANGLADESH!

After all these years, I had the same feeling when I saw the news that Bangladesh was set to surpass India in terms of per capita GDP in 2020 as predicted by the International Monetary Fund and that it had come as a shock to many Indians. The IMF's latest World Economic Outlook report said: "Bangladesh's per capita GDP would rise to $1,887.97 at current prices at the end of this year, up 3.96% from $1,816.04 in 2019. India's per capita GDP would fall to $1,877 in 2020, a decline of 10.3%."

Some Indian media outlets have appreciated Bangladesh's progress, and have criticized their own government's policies. However, many others -- both on social and traditional media -- found this piece of information very hard to digest. Many were seen heartbroken regarding this.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also couldn't accept the fact, attacking the BJP government, saying: "Solid achievement of six years of BJP's hate-filled cultural nationalism -- Bangladesh set to overtake India."

Well, his mission seemed to have more to do with politics than Bangladesh's status as a "minnow," but the tinge of sadness in his mind was quite evident.

The reason I cited these two examples is because we in Bangladesh have a belief that India, the country that helped us during our Liberation War, still looks upon us as an unsuccessful nation. Millions of Indians tend to think that Bangladeshis will always remain in their backyard -- always dependent on them, Bangladesh will remain underdeveloped, and not much else can be expected from this nation.

This attitude pains me. I won't deny the fact that there's a strong anti-Indian sentiment running in the minds of many Bangladeshis, but no Bangladeshi considers India as a backward or unsuccessful country. We learn a lot from Indian culture, literature, politics, and history. And we quite often express our gratitude for their help in 1971.

However, we should always remember that Bangladesh is in no way in competition with any other nation. We rejoice in our success among ourselves and we feel sad in our own failures.

Since our independence, we have been giving more to India than we have taken. We contribute to the Indian economy in a big way.

Indians working in Bangladesh send an enormous amount of remittance to their country from ours. As of November 2019, a report said the total annual remittance inflow into India from Bangladesh had reached $16.67 billion.

If we look at the number of Bangladeshi patients seeking medical treatment in India, it will be clear how much India earns from us.

I don't have any current data, but I can cite a report released by the Indian government in 2017. The report said, one in three foreign patients in India was from Bangladesh. Of the 460,000 inbound patients in Indian hospitals, more than 165,000 were from Bangladesh. Bangladeshis had bought over $343 million worth of services.

There's more.

One report says that 60% of the buyers in West Bengal are from Bangladesh. Did you notice that West Bengal -- especially Kolkata -- markets during the last two Eids when the Covid-time travel restrictions were on? Their markets looked deserted.

Here in Bangladesh, the markets are normally flooded with Indian apparel during our Eids. Despite that fact, thousands of Bangladeshis still prefer to go to India for Eid shopping.

In 2017, an estimated 150,000 shoppers went to India. If the shoppers had bought goods worth at least $1,000 each, they would have ended up spending $1,170 crore. But many spend way more than that.

We are a market for many other Indian goods and products. The country earns enormously from selling these goods and products to 165 million Bangladeshis.

And this is how Bangladesh has always given more to India. Sometimes, we feel that we deserve to be praised by India but, instead, what we receive is high-pitched jealousy whenever we achieve something good.

We don't expect this from India, a country that should have become more mature in all these years.

Ekram Kabir is a yogi, a story-teller, and a communications professional. His other works can be found on ekramkabir.com.

 

[Saif]

Clearly "control" is at play here, not running ports.

Sea ports and Air ports are strategic assets. India wants to get a firm grip on Bangladesh by getting transit through Bangladesh and by controlling our ports. This way India manages to reduce our strategic value to China significantly.

 

[Saif]

Useless project and money down the drain. India does not manufacture even one significant piece of container handling equipment (unlike China or other EU countries), so how they will "improve" container handling is beyond me.

And why this AL govt. awards projects to Indian firms is also questionable to me. The pedigree and experience of this Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury guy as a shipping minister was always open to debate, and now he has been proven to be "on the take" as well.

Look at the math. Tk 6,014 crore project and at an annual return in improvement of Tk. 150 crore. It will take roughly 40 years to pay this off to India with interest. Even that rate of return is questionable.

We should have given the project to China instead of India. India with its subpar technology will end up making the Mongla port more inefficient in the name of improving it.

 

[Saif]

Teesta, connectivity to dominate talks

The Teesta development project, signing of the long pending Teesta water sharing deal, renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty signed in 1996 and connectivity of the...

www.newagebd.net

Teesta, connectivity to dominate talks
Staff Correspondent 20 June, 2024, 01:00

Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi

The Teesta development project, signing of the long pending Teesta water sharing deal, renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty signed in 1996 and connectivity of the north-eastern states of India through Bangladesh are likely to dominate the bilateral talks between Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi in June 22.

Foreign ministry officials have taken all preparations for the PM-level talks as Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to fly to New Delhi on June 21 on a two-day visit at the invitation of Narendra Modi, a second trip to India in less than 15 days after the Bharatiya Janata Party formed the government for the third consecutive term.

'Prime minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Friday on a two-day bilateral visit to India at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and the bilateral talks between the two leaders as per schedule would be held on June 22, ' foreign ministry spokesperson and also director general of the Public Diplomacy wing Seheli Sabrin told New Age on Wednesday.

Asked about the meeting agenda, she said that officials were still working on it.

India has very recently expressed its willingness to support a mega development plan on the trans-boundary River Teesta inside Bangladesh, where China has already shown its interest and completed a survey for a $1 billion project.

Indian external affairs secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra conveyed the message during a courtesy call on foreign minister Hasan Mahmud at his Segunbagicha office in Dhaka in May, taking to the fore India's interest to counter China in its bordering area.

Vinay Mohan also paid a courtesy call on prime minister Sheikh Hasina at her office during the visit.

However, this would be Sheikh Hasina's first bilateral meeting with Narendra Modi after taking over as prime minister for the fourth consecutive term through the January 7 general election. She attended administering of the oath to Narendra Modi as prime minister of India for the third term running on June 9.

The Teesta development project as well as the water sharing of common rivers, including Teesta, and the renewal of the 30-year Ganges treaty expiring in 2026 would remain high on agenda besides India's issue of connectivity of the north-eastern states through Bangladesh, trade and defence partnership in the bilateral talks, according to officials concerned.

New Delhi has long been foot-dragging on the Teesta water-sharing treaty with Dhaka, adversely affecting the lives and livelihoods of the people in the Rangpur region.

Talking on the issue, a retired foreign secretary recently told New Age if India seriously takes the project to counter China, it may go ahead but may face the same situation of the other projects under the Indian line of credit that were not advancing at an expected pace, while a former diplomat said that Bangladesh should weigh both proposals and look into their terms to find a better one.

The Teesta becomes almost dry in the lean season due to the unilateral withdrawal of water upstream in India, while in monsoon, the common river overflows, causing frequent floods in Bangladesh as Indian authorities open floodgates of the Gajoldoba barrage to offload water pressure.

Biodiversity and agriculture in Bangladesh's northern districts have been seriously affected in the absence of any water-sharing treaty between the two countries.

After finalisation of the draft of the Teesta deal by the two sides, India backtracked on signing the treaty just hours before the arrival of then-Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in Dhaka on September 6, 2011, on the plea that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee objected to the agreement.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Hasina-Modi bilateral meet and expectations

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to start for Delhi on June 21, for Indo-Bangladesh bilateral summit meeting. This will be her second visit to Delhi within 11 days as she concluded her last trip to Delhi on June 10. According to diplomatic circles, such visit within such a short span of t

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Hasina-Modi bilateral meet and expectations
MOSTAFIZUR RAHMAN
Published :
Jun 19, 2024 21:24
Updated :
Jun 19, 2024 21:24

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to start for Delhi on June 21, for Indo-Bangladesh bilateral summit meeting. This will be her second visit to Delhi within 11 days as she concluded her last trip to Delhi on June 10.
According to diplomatic circles, such visit within such a short span of time is rare. Of course, this reflects the closeness of ties between the two neighbours which is often termed a 'unique' relationship.

However, people in general are eager to see what benefits Bangladesh can derive from such a strong bilateral relationship.

In her last three tenures since 2009, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina walked extra miles to strengthen ties with the biggest neighbour of the country. Transit and trans-shipment were provided, a band of insurgent leaders were handed over to India and tough stance was taken to ensure that Indian insurgents cannot use any part of Bangladesh as hideouts.

Once there was bold opposition among many Bangladeshis against providing India the transition and transshipment facilities, which have brought out a sea change in the transportation of goods and people between the two wings of India. But against all odds, Hasina took this phenomenal step.

However, it is widely believed that Indian political leadership has failed to reciprocate the very generous gesture of Bangladesh. The first example is its failure to ink the deal on the water sharing of Teesta River.

The deal was agreed by both sides and was supposed to be signed during the then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka in 2011.

But at the last minute, India backed out citing opposition from the West Bengal government. Despite promises that the deal would be concluded 'very soon', it remains unfulfilled till now and there is no sign of materialising it in the near future.

Next comes the issue of border killing. Every year a good number of Bangladeshi people are killed by the Birder Security Forces (BSF) of India.

In every bilateral meetings, the Indian leadership promised to put an end to such killing of unarmed civilians by the BSF. And on several occasions both sides agreed to stop the use of lethal weapons by the border guards, but to no avail.

In no other parts of the world, border guards of a country kill unarmed civilians of its neighbours.

The BSF claim that they are compelled to shoot when they themselves are attacked by 'criminal elements' from Bangladesh. It is no secret that crime like smuggling or human trafficking is not a one-sided affair.

People from both sides are involved in such criminal activities. Even involvement of border forces of either side is often revealed in several reports. In any case, killing of civilians is not acceptable. And it is a major barrier to creating a true and lasting friendship between the people of the two countries, who have a long history of shared struggle and prosperity.

It is widely believed that an appropriate step from Delhi's political leadership is enough to stop such border killings. India recently took some steps to resolve the age-old disputes that include signing of the Land Boundary Agreement and lifting of export ban on essential commodities like onion. But people of Bangladesh expect that Indian leadership will also go the extra mile for resolving issues like border killing and water sharing.

Let us hope that during the upcoming visit, there will be a significant outcome in this regard.​

 

[Saif]

PM’S India Visit: Defence, Teesta project, port likely to be on agenda

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to New Delhi on June 21-22 will focus on some key issues in bilateral relations that have regional geopolitical significance.

www.thedailystar.net

PM'S India Visit: Defence, Teesta project, port likely to be on agenda
Both sides finalising several deals, MoUs, say diplomatic sources

File photo of PM Sheikh Hasina/PID

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's upcoming visit to New Delhi on June 21-22 will focus on some key issues in bilateral relations that have regional geopolitical significance.

Issues such as water, port and defence will be discussed, The Daily Star has learnt from diplomatic sources in Dhaka and New Delhi.

Fresh loans from India under a new framework will also be high on the agenda of the bilateral talks as Bangladesh grapples with a crunch in foreign currency reserves, they said.

Besides, the Myanmar crisis, especially the intense fighting in Rakhine State, will feature prominently during the delegation-level meeting between Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

The Bangladesh premier is scheduled to reach New Delhi in the afternoon tomorrow. On June 22, she will hold the delegation-level meeting centring on a new phase in the bilateral relationship, a diplomat told The Daily Star yesterday.

The two countries are finalising several agreements and memorandums of understanding that may be signed during Hasina's tour of India.

TEESTA PROJECT

The issue of funding for the "Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project" will feature prominently in the talks, according to diplomatic sources in Dhaka and New Delhi.

The agreement was finalised in 2011, but could not be inked due to opposition from West Bengal.

The Economic Relations Division sought a $983.27 million loan from China to implement the Teesta project, which includes river dredging, setting up reservoirs and building townships along the river.

On October 13, 2022, then-Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming said his country was serious about implementing the project, but also had a sense of reluctance due to sensitive issues surrounding it.

During a visit to Dhaka on May 9, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra told Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud that India was interested in financing the Teesta project.

On June 13, Hasina told the parliament that the government was considering a proposal for a detailed feasibility study for the Teesta project as China's evaluation pointed out that there was a lack of detailed proposals on land development and water navigation.

"Our government needs to know whether India would sign the Teesta water sharing agreement because the river restoration and management project would depend on this," said Faiz Ahmad, a former ambassador of Bangladesh to China.

India and China also can fund different components of the project, said Ahmad, also a former chair of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies.

A diplomat in New Delhi said the two prime ministers will also discuss the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty that was signed in 1996. The treaty is set to expire in 2026.

To be continued.............​

 

[Saif]

MONGLA PORT

India is keen to manage the Mongla river port, which is crucial for better connectivity between Kolkata and India's north-eastern states, said a diplomatic source in New Delhi.

According to a report in India's The Economic Times, India has shown interest in managing Mongla port as it aligns with the country's broader strategy to counter China's expanding influence in the region.

It should not be an issue if Bangladesh gives the port handling work to India, Ahmad said.

"Japan is already working on Matarbari deep sea port, and China can manage the Payra Port in Patuakhali. But we need to be careful so that we don't upset anyone by satisfying another," he added.

India is also keen to develop an alternative network of railway routes through Bangladesh to connect its northeast with the rest of the country. This would reduce India's reliance on the existing route through Siliguri, according to a report by The Times of India.

"Detailed negotiation on such projects is needed to know whether Indian trains will run on Bangladesh's territory and whether Bangladesh's trains can use India's territories," Ahmad said.

According to sources, India may in principle approve the supply of electricity from Bhutan to Bangladesh using its power grid.

India is also likely to push for defence equipment sales to Bangladesh under the $500 million line of credit.

Bangladesh will seek smooth supply of essentials like wheat, sugar and onions from India.

The two leaders may also announce the launch of formal negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA), said Bangladesh foreign ministry sources.

The issue of border killings will also be on the agenda.​