India-Bangladesh Relations
2023 NOV 2
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International relations > India and Neighbours > India-Bangladesh
IN NEWS:
- Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated three Indian-assisted development projects via video conferencing.
MORE ON NEWS:
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1. Akhaura-Agartala Cross-Border Rail Link:
- The 15.6-km-long railway link will connect Gangasagar in Bangladesh to Nischintapur in Tripura and from Nischintapur to Agartala railway station.
- The project will reduce the distance between Agartala and Kolkata from 1600 km to 500 km.
- Also, the project is expected to boost tourism, trade, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
2. The Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line:
- The project will cover 65 km of broad-gauge rail route between Mongla, the second largest port in Bangladesh, and the existing rail network within Khulna.
- The Bangladesh government has recently allowed the transit and trans-shipment of cargo from West Bengal to the northeastern states via Chattogram and Mongla ports.
3. Unit II of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant:
- The project, being built under an Indian concessional financing scheme loan of USD 1.6 billion, is a 1,320 MW plant located at Rampal, Bangladesh. The project is expected to help Bangladesh meet its growing power needs.
- Unit I of the power plant was jointly unveiled by both prime ministers in September 2022.
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TIMELINE OF INDIA-BANGLADESH RELATIONS:
- India's support for the Liberation War 1971
- India’s political, diplomatic, military, and humanitarian support during Bangladesh’s Liberation War played an important role in Bangladesh’s independence.
- Post-Independence Bangladesh:
- India was the first country to recognize Bangladesh as a separate and independent state immediately after its independence in December 1971.
- Contemporary times:
- As PM Modi said, India and Bangladesh today share a sonali adhyay, or golden chapter, in a relationship geared towards bringing stability and prosperity to people on both sides.
AREAS OF COOPERATION:
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Economic:
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- Bangladesh is India's largest trade partner in South Asia, with bilateral trade growing significantly from USD 10.78 billion in FY 2020-21 to USD 18.14 billion in FY 2021-22.
- Both countries are members of regional trade agreements like APTA, SAPTA, and SAFTA.
- India has given Duty-Free and Quota Free access to Bangladeshi exports to India under SAFTA.
- Energy Sector Cooperation:
- India is investing in energy infrastructure in Bangladesh, such as in the Rooppur nuclear power plant project, India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, Maitree Super Thermal Power Project
- One in five tourists in India is from Bangladesh, and Bangladesh contributes over 35% of India's international medical patients and more than 50% of its medical tourism revenue.
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Border management:
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- The longest land boundary that India shares with any of its neighbours (4096.7 km).
- Bangladesh government has uprooted anti-India insurgents, making the India-Bangladesh border very peaceful.
- The India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement of 2015 and the maritime boundary settlement in 2014 have improved border management.
- Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) to control the illegal cross-border activity
- Borders haats: For eg. Srinagar and Kamalasagar in Tripura, Kalaichar and Balat in Meghalaya and Saydabad in Bangladesh
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Security:
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- Exercise Sampriti, Shantir Ogrosena, Exercise Bongosagar and Exercise Milan.
- Anti-terrorism cooperation:
- Since 2009, Bangladesh shut down anti-India terror camps and hand over nearly two dozen of India’s “most wanted”.
- Defence agreements:
- India and Bangladesh have signed several security cooperation agreements, including a USD500 million line of credit from India to Bangladesh for defense imports.
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Connectivity:
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- India and Bangladesh have established connectivity through various modes of transport, including a direct bus service between Kolkata and Agartala passing through Bangladesh, and the Mitali Express AC train connecting Jalpaiguri with Dhaka. They also agreed to accelerate the implementation of the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement.
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Aid and Assistance:
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- India has given Bangladesh three Lines of Credit (LOC) worth USD 8 billion for infrastructure development. High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) are a significant part of India's development assistance.India provides aid during crises, like donating 1.2 million free COVID-19 vaccine doses to Bangladesh in March 2021.
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Partnership on Multilateral forums:
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- Bangladesh backs India's bid for a seat on the UN Security Council and commits to collaborative efforts for UN Security Council reforms.
- Both nations are active participants in SAARC and BIMSTEC, fostering regional cooperation.
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Water sharing:
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- India and Bangladesh share 54 common rivers. A bilateral Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) has been working since June 1972 to manage shared river resources.
- The Kushiara River Treaty 2022: the first such pact between the two nations since the signing of the Ganga Water Treaty in 1996.
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Cultural Exchanges:
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- Akashvani Maitree radio promotes cultural exchange and preserves Bengali culture by blending content from India and Bangladesh.
- The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) in Bangladesh, run by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, hosts diverse cultural programs.
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Indian diaspora:
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- Approximately 10,000 Indians live in Bangladesh, primarily working in the textile sector.
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AREAS OF CONCERN:
- China’s presence:
- China is making strong inroads into Bangladesh, which often contradict Indian interests.
- Eg: Bangladesh is part of the Belt and Road initiative and Bangladesh enjoys tariff-free access on more than 90 per cent of its products exported to China.
- River water disputes:
- Teesta river remains the bone of contention between the two riparian nations.
- The Tipaimukh Dam on the Barak River in Manipur is a contentious issue between India and Bangladesh due to ecological concerns in Bangladesh's Sylhet district. Another dispute is the construction of the Farakka Barrage.
- Porous borders:
- India and Bangladesh border runs through marshy wetlands. This makes it difficult to monitor and thus provide easy route for illicit activities. Also, lack of proper demarcations has resulted in a few cases of civilians being killed at the border by security forces.
- Extremism:
- There has been a noticeable increase in religious extremism in Bangladesh, particularly against Hindu minorities. Such elements could use Bangladesh as a launch platform for activities against India.
- Trafficking:
- Porous borders are used to traffic items like cattle, fertilizers, fake currency, drugs and humans. This is hurting India economically and threatening its internal security.
- Illegal migrants and refugees:
- Bangladesh has emerged as a major source of illegal migrants to India. Rohingyas from Myanmar are using Bangladesh as a transit route to India.
- Opposition to Indian legislations:
- Bangladesh has been vocal against India’s implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act and National register of citizens. The implementation of these legislations could potentially strain the relationship between the two countries.
- Anti-India sentiments:
- Due to river water disputes and India’s big brotherly attitude, there is strong Anti-India sentiments. This is further fuelled by the Pak-backed extremist elements.
- Unutilized line of credit:
- Until 2019, only 51% of the first USD 800 million line of credit has been utilised
- Mostly due to red-tapism from India’s end, and slow project implementation on Bangladesh’s end.
- Underdeveloped connectivity:
- Despite long borders, connectivity between India and Bangladesh remains restricted to a few check posts, rail lines and border haats.
WAY FORWARD:
Maintaining stable and friendly relations with India has been to Bangladesh’s advantage in terms of both countries sharing a common position on regional security.
- Enhance connectivity:
- Transform transport corridors into economic corridors through public-private partnerships and cross-border private sector initiatives.
- Strengthen hydro diplomacy:
- Develop a water-sharing treaty for the Teesta River, involving Indian states.
- Technology in border management:
- Utilize drones, LIDAR, and satellite-based technology for effective India-Bangladesh border management.
- Comprehensive refugee policy:
- People-to-people contact:
- Encourage and facilitate people-to-people interactions with a liberal visa system.
- Improve bilateral trade:
- Simplify certificate of origin procedures and rationalize anti-dumping duty on Jute products from Bangladesh.
PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q. “The India-Bangaldesh relations are identified as ‘a multidimensional fraternal relationship’ sustaining amid several challenges”. Discuss.
