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

[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.​