On 25 June, Foreign Minister Ms Sushma Swaraj will be in Bangladesh on her first, standalone, bilateral visit, to showcase the importance her government gives Bangladesh. India
shares its longest land border with Bangladesh, which is also India's biggest trading partner in South Asia. The country has vast potential. Goldman Sachs counts it as the next economic power after the BRICs, with its proven leadership in garments and rising capability in pharmaceuticals, information technology, food processing and small ship building.
Besides, a friendly relationship with Bangladesh is necessary for securing internal peace in India. The conflict situation in the Northeast improved significantly due to Bangladesh's action against groups operating on its soil against India's interest. The UPA government had laid a framework for future bilateral relations in the Joint Communique issued after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in January 2010. But the UPA government failed to deliver on promises made to Bangladesh. It is up to the new government to complete the unfinished agenda.
Ms Swaraj should discuss the agreement on sharing the waters of the Teesta River. Dr Manmohan Singh could not seal the Teesta agreement during his visit to Bangladesh in 2011 as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Benarjee declined to accept the draft that was agreed on by the two countries. Since Mr Modi enjoys complete majority, it would be pragmatic to resolve the agreement at the earliest. Another pressing issue is ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) signed between India and Bangladesh during Dr. Singh's visit in 2011.
Ratification of LBA will resolve all boundary disputes with Bangladesh, including the issue of enclaves, a hub of cross border criminal networks. This will also control illegal migration because enclaves serve as major transit for human trafficking. Another priority is increasing connectivity, reviving old rail and road linkages between the two countries. This is crucial for boosting bilateral trade. Also, the issue of rejuvenating the inland water route needs to be raised, since it remains underutilised due to lack of maintenance.
Ms Swaraj should also discuss illegal migration. Establishment of a dialogue mechanism between the two countries could be a good beginning. However, security cooperation should continue and needs to be strengthened further. Friendly Indo-Bangla relations will play a major role in securing peace and prosperity in the South Asia region and these can be achieved with sincere initiatives by the government in resolving outstanding issues. In fact, its Bangla policy could be a
benchmark for the new government for dealing with other countries in the neighbourhood.
(The author is an Associate Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi)
Courtesy: The Economic Times, June 25, 2014
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