Editorial: Deepening ties with Dhaka

Ties with a trusted neighbour like Bangladesh is crucial for India to effectively counter the designs of China

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent trip to India, the first bilateral state visit by a foreign leader after the formation of the NDA 3.0, reflected the level of commitment of both nations to bolster bilateral ties. In fact, it was Hasina’s second visit to Delhi in two weeks as she had earlier attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet. Hasina and Modi — both securing the public mandate for a third consecutive term — have established a perfect personal rapport with each other over the past decade, demonstrating the intensity of the bilateral engagement. The productive consequences of the two leaders’ commitment to overhaul ties have been hailed as marking a golden chapter in the history of bilateral relations. The “vision for a shared future” unveiled by the two leaders recently promises to build on these advances and turn the “extraordinary relationship” of the last decade into a “transformational partnership”. The deepening ties with a trusted neighbour like Bangladesh is crucial for India to effectively counter the designs of China to expand its influence in the region. Over ten agreements, signed during Hasina’s visit, covered a lot of ground — ranging from maritime cooperation, railway connectivity and the space sector to digital partnership, healthcare and defence production. One of the key takeaways was India’s decision to send a technical team to Bangladesh for a mega project to conserve the Teesta River.

China, which spares no effort in wooing or coercing India’s neighbours, has been eyeing the estimated $1-billion project amid New Delhi’s reservations. By engaging closely with Dhaka, India has been asserting its independent foreign policy approach, even though the United States has been critical of the Hasina-led Awami League government over the alleged human rights violations in Bangladesh. In November last year, when Hasina was under pressure not only from the Bangladeshi opposition but also from the US ahead of the national elections, Modi joined her in virtually inaugurating three infrastructure projects. Initiatives like the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal) agreement to promote safe and environmentally sound road transport in the sub-region, and the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) free trade agreement could further strengthen economic cooperation, regional integration and stability across the subcontinent. These initiatives are good examples of boosting mutually rewarding neighbourly relationships, paving the way for a more interconnected and prosperous South Asia. The Indo-Bangladesh ties will have the potential to positively impact the broader South Asian region by setting new standards for regional cooperation and collaboration. The two countries have promised to focus on the unfinished agenda of connectivity that includes the easing of visa procedures, freer movement of goods, cross-border energy and electricity flows, and the building of digital bridges. Bangladesh has also emerged as one of India’s most important trade partners.

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