All-weather friend

India must allay Bangladesh’s concerns over CAA and NRC to ensure that Dhaka remains firmly on its side

The bonhomie that marked the virtual summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina comes as a testimony to the strong ties between the two neighbours, bound by common culture. The bilateral relationship is steeped in history as Bangladesh owes its creation to India’s resounding victory in the 1971 war against Pakistan. Both countries are expected to come even closer next year when New Delhi will commemorate the golden jubilee of the war and Bangladesh will celebrate 50 years of its independence. In recent times, avoidable friction cropped up in the bilateral relationship over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). And, the Teesta water dispute remains unresolved. Dhaka has justifiably raised objections over a narrative that it is a perpetrator of religious persecution. India’s exercise of weeding out illegal immigrants won’t find favour with Bangladesh, which is already saddled with Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. It is here that New Delhi should tread cautiously and reset the bilateral ties to reflect the deep bond between the people of the two nations. Flanked by China and Pakistan, the two hostile neighbours, India needs the support of nations like Bangladesh and Nepal to maintain its pre-eminent position in the subcontinent and boost its credentials in the international arena. However, the misgivings over the CAA and the NRC must be removed to put the bilateral relations on an even keel and ensure that a presumably all-weather friend remains firmly on its side. The reopening of the Chilahati-Haldibari railway line, which had been defunct since the 1965 India-Pakistan war, is a sign of growing mutual cooperation and understanding.

There is no doubt that Bangladesh is an important pillar of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. Connectivity offers a game-changing opportunity for the two countries to take their bilateral relationship to a new level. This is pivotal to India’s connectivity with its north-eastern region and with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). This is particularly important in the context of both ‘Make in India’ initiative and India’s ‘Act East’ policy. There is also a need to counter China, which has been making deep inroads into Bangladesh by ramping up investments in infrastructure and military hardware and expanding economic cooperation. On its part, India has approved three Lines of Credit to Bangladesh, totalling $7.3 billion. It is imperative for India to bolster ties with this all-weather friend, and there may not be a better time to do so than when Bangladesh is to celebrate the golden jubilee of its independence. India also needs to step up support to Dhaka in its fight against radical elements.

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