The visit of External Affairs Minister SM Krishna to Dhaka early July underlines the importance of Bangladesh in India’s strategic thinking. The visit was also crucial as it laid out the agenda for the all-important visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Bangladesh later this year. The true measure of the Mr Krishna’s visit can only be assessed by the progress made on key agreements during the PM’s visit.
The India and Bangladesh relations have improved significantly in the last few years. As a mark of this trajectory in the relationship, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited India in January 2010. During her visit, the two countries signed a joint communiqué, which has since then become the guiding force of this relationship.
Mr Krishan’s visit, besides projecting India’s commitment to the bilateral relationship, also cleared the cloud of confusion and doubt created in Bangladesh after the Prime Minister’s off-the-record comments on 25 percent of Bangladeshis’ harbouring anti-India feelings became public. To be fair, Dhaka showed considerable maturity in not making an issue out of these unwarranted remarks which clearly showed the commitment and eagerness on the part of the Bangladesh leadership to strengthen relations with India..
During his three-day stay in Bangladesh, Mr. Krishna met many top leaders including Prime Minister Shiekh Haisna, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Finance Minister AMA Muhith and leader of opposition Khaleda Zia. Krisnha also discussed various issues in the bilateral relations including sharing of Teesta Water, land boundary, connectivity. The discussions raised hopes that the long pending issues might be resolved during the visit of Indian PM.
Issues which showed progress include:-
a) Sharing of water of Teesta river- The Foreign Minister said the two countries were working on an inter agreement for sharing of Teesta waters.
b) Land Boundary issue - A Joint Boundary Working Group was engaged in seeking a comprehensive resolution of outstanding boundary issues. India and Bangladesh share 4098 kms of boundary, of which 6.1 kms remain disputed. Another related issue is that of enclaves on both sides. Bangladesh has for long been urging a comprehensive resolution of this issue.
The visit also resulted in signing of two importance agreements:-
1) The Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) - The investment and protection agreement envisages that National Treatment and Most Favoured Nation to be accorded by either country to investments from investors. According to this agreement investments of either country would not be nationalised to expropriate except for public purposes in accordance with law and against fair and equitable compensation. The agreement is valid for 10 years and after that it would be deemed to have been automatically extended unless either government gives written notice to other government of its intention to terminate the agreement. It is expected that this agreement will strengthen the bilateral economic relationship. .
2) SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for entry of trucks from Bhutan into territories of the two countries near the border. During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit in January 2010, it was agreed that trucks from Nepal and Bhutan will be allowed to enter 200 metres insides Bangladesh border and that necessary arrangements shall be mutually agreed upon and put in place in both countries. This was a long standing demand from Bangladesh.
On security cooperation, an issue crucial for India, the External Affairs Minister urged Bangladesh leadership to continue the cooperation to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestation. Although the present Sheikh Hasina government has been cooperating with India in tackling anti-Indian terrorist and insurgent groups, there are apprehensions in India that a change of government after the parliamentary elections in 2013 could change this arrangement, particularly when current investigations suggest that many ministers in the previous BNP government have had connections with groups inimical to India’s interest.
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