Chennai
The neighbouring nation, which celebrated its 50th anniversary and the 100th birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman, the founder of the country, also witnessed Modi holding talks with his counterpart Sheikh Hasina. The visit was viewed by political observers as a significant move not just to bolster bilateral ties between the two nations, but to also strengthen cooperation on the defence and security front, especially amid China attempting to expand its influence in the region.
Hasina’s foreign affairs advisor Gowher Rizvi recently stated that Bangladesh did not believe in developing a relationship with Beijing, at the expense of sidelining India. Rizvi had expressed caution when he remarked that Dhaka has learned from the experiences of countries like Sri Lanka and Djibouti, and is not keen on creating a situation where its borrowing capacity far exceeds its repayment potential. This could be treated as a welcoming sign by New Delhi, which has gone the extra mile in extending vaccine diplomacy to nations in need.
Altruism aside, there are economic benefits that both nations foresee, which makes Modi’s visit even more timely. Keeping in mind, the idea of assimilating Dhaka as part of the Indo-Pacific cooperation plan, India has been striving to enhance infrastructure connectivity with Bangladesh. Last year, the re-opening of the Haldibari-Chilahati railway link that connected northwest Bengal and the north of Bangladesh was seen as a conversation starter for more such projects. The neighbouring nation is also part of the ambitious trilateral highway project that spans India, Myanmar, and Thailand.
Internet connectivity has also turned into a cornerstone of the duo’s relationship. The internet link connecting Agartala with Cox Bazaar’s undersea cable gateway is seen as a much-needed push towards digitalisation for the neighbour, which is India’s largest trading partner and is on its way to being redesignated as a developing nation like India, by 2026. On the subject of strategic interests, last December India had extended Dhaka a line of credit worth $500 mn for defence imports from India. As part of the army to army cooperation initiative, India handed over 18 new 120 mm mortars to Bangladesh’s Army.
But the two nations do not see eye to eye on every topic. The issue of illegal immigration is a sore point in the region and the Centre marching ahead with its proposal of the National Register for Citizens has raised concerns in Bangladesh. While the country expressed its hopes that India might not adopt a harsh measure like its other neighbour Myanmar and render millions of people stateless overnight, as in the case of the Rohingya refugees, Dhaka affirmed that taking back citizens would follow due process. A similar pain point is the water sharing issue concerning the Teesta river, one of the 56 odd rivers shared by the two nations. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised that New Delhi’s stance on sharing the river water hasn’t changed. This is even as poll-bound West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has put her foot down on sharing water with Dhaka.
One also cannot ignore the dragon in the room. Bangladesh is already a part of China’s global infrastructure development programme – the Belt and Road Initiative. A close cousin to the project was the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM) project, which has been dropped by China, citing non-cooperation from India. Having borne witness to Beijing’s aggression in Doklam, India must remain alert to China’s expansionist agendas in the region. Keeping old allies close, and staying united might be one of the ways such influences of Beijing can be tempered in the long run.
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