A reality check for Bangladesh-India ties
Delhi and Dhaka need to have good ties as it important for India’s northeastern states whose security and economy benefited from better ties with Bangladesh
Bangladesh interim government chief Muhammad Yunus has offered a candid assessment of the relationship with India — that there is no other way for the two countries but to have good relations, though ties have been beset by “some conflicts” in recent times. Yunus’s conclusion that these conflicts or misunderstandings are on account of some “propaganda” is questionable. The caretaker administration in Dhaka got off to a bad start with New Delhi last year, primarily over its handling of attacks on Bangladesh’s minorities, and there have been other irritants in recent months. Bangladesh has stymied India’s efforts to fence the remaining unfenced segments of the international border, and the interim government has largely ignored India’s concerns related to the growing footprints of China and Pakistan in that country. For Dhaka, former premier Sheikh Hasina’s presence in India, and her recent political activities, have become a cause of concern.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Touhid Hossain on the margins of an international conference in Oman last month and foreign secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Dhaka in December were opportunities for the two sides to clear the air on a range of issues — but neither Yunus nor his varied team appear to have tried too hard. One indication of this is the impact on people-to-people ties and a sharp decline in the number of visas issued to Bangladeshi nationals.
As Yunus himself noted, India and Bangladesh need to have good relations. In India’s case, this is especially important for the country’s northeastern states, whose security and economy benefited considerably from intelligence sharing and greater connectivity with Bangladesh over the past decade. The interim government in Dhaka would do well to show greater sensitivity to New Delhi’s concerns and red lines, especially if it is keen to pave the way for a meeting between Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the upcoming Bimstec summit that could help reset the relationship.
