India & Bangladesh Relations

Significance of Relations Geopolitical

• Connecting North East India: Each of seven north eastern states is land-locked and has shorter route to the sea through Bangladesh. Transit agreement with Bangladesh will spur the socio-economic development of North-East India. (Road, Train & also Water ways).
• Bridge to Southeast Asia: Bangladesh is a natural pillar of Act East policy. It can act as a ‘bridge’ to economic and political linkages with South East Asia and beyond. Dhaka’s support in BIMSTEC (Headquarters in Bangladesh) and BBIN initiatives complement Delhi’s Southeast Asia outreach.
• Strengthening South Asia as a regional power: by leveraging on organizations such as the BIMSTEC & SAARC for promoting cooperation among its member nations to economic growth and securing strategic interests.
• Securing Sea lanes of communication: Bangladesh is a major country in the Indian ocean rim and strategically placed nearby important sea lanes. As South East Indian ocean is becoming hotbed of piracy, Bangladesh can play significant role in containing the same.
• Fighting terrorism and deradicalization: Both the countries are very vulnerable to the propaganda of religion based radical outfits thus they could cooperate in deradicalization efforts, sharing intelligence, and other counter-terrorism efforts.
• To contain insurgency in North-East: A friendly Bangladesh can ensure that no anti-India terror or insurgent activities can be carried out from its soil.
• Balancing China: A neutral Bangladesh would ensure containment of an assertive China in this region, and help in countering it's string of pearls policy.

Economic importance

• Bilateral trade: Currently, the volume of bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh is about $9 billion while the trade potential is at least four times the present level. They are 8th populous nation, hence market opportunity
• Investment opportunities: There are huge opportunities for investment in defense, such as in military hardware, space technology; infrastructural development, and other areas. (Fastest growing economy in South Asia).
• Cooperation in blue economy: such as exploration of hydrocarbons, deep-sea fishing, preservation of marine ecology and disaster management.
• Social sector development.

Cultural ties

• India and Bangladesh have a shared history and common heritage.
• Hindu minorities in Bangladesh (persecution).
• Greater people to people contact would percolate to other areas like economic and trade relations especially near the border areas.
• It would also help in curbing hostilities and lack of trust specially Bangladesh being a smaller neighbour.
• Climate Change: Risk of Climate refugees as Bangladesh is Vulnerable to sea level rises

India & Bangladesh Border Dispute

• Border dispute solved by 100^th Constitutional Amendment Act: Provides acquiring of territories by India and transfer of certain territories to Bangladesh.

India & Bangladesh Maritime Dispute

• Solve by Permanent court of arbitration judgement. India obey the judgement and give it to Bangladesh.

Challenges in India Bangladesh relations

• River disputes: India shares 54 transboundary rivers, big and small. Tista and Ganga water disputes are major impediments.
• Border Management: The Indo- Bangladesh border is of porous nature which provides pathway for smuggling, trafficking in arms, drugs and people. (Successful Land boundary agreement)
• Illegal immigrants: Since the 1971 war of independence that created the state of Bangladesh, millions of Bangladeshi immigrants (the vast majority of them illegal) have poured into India. This is changing the demography of northeastern states which is causing unrest. (Recently NRC update in Assam find 19 lakhs people unable to prove as citizen of India, so they consider as illegal immigrant) (CAA say give citizenship to 19 lakhs people except Muslims).
• China factor: The ever-increasing presence of China in India's neighborhood is a major cause of concern. The smaller countries like Bangladesh uses China card to supplement its bargaining capacity against India.
• Rohingya crisis: There are almost 11 lakh Rohingyas refugees living in Bangladesh. While India has supplied humanitarian aid to Bangladesh under 'Operation Insaniyat' for the Rohingya crisis but Bangladesh expects India to put pressure on Myanmar for repatriation of over a million of Rohingyas. (Rohingyas are Bangladeshi Muslim settle in Myanmar, Myanmar not happy with them so militant attack on them. They come as refuge to India & Bangladesh (Stay in Bhasan Char Island). {First time India not accept rohingya refuge because of India internal Security} but India do Operation Insaniyat' for the Rohingya humanitarian supplied, built home in Bhasan Char Island.
• Increasing radicalisation: Presence of groups like Harkat-alJihad-al-Islami (HUJI) and Jamaat-e-Islami fuel Anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh. Their propaganda could spill across border.

Steps taken by India to improve relations

1.Trade:

• Steps were taken including reduction in customs and immigration documents, establishment of 49 land customs stations, integrated check posts etc.
• E.g. Sutarkandi in Assam, Ghojadanga in West Bengal- integrated check posts along Bangladesh border.
• India is developing Boarder Haat (Market)with Bangladesh. This includes establishment of traditional system of marketing the local produce through local markets.

2.Connectivity:

• BBIN Initiative aims to facilitate movement of vehicles carrying cargo and passengers in each other’s territory without the need for trans-shipment of goods.
• Through Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT), India is assisting Bangladesh to capture the potential of waterways for both inter and intra border connectivity of Bangladesh.
• India has extended National Knowledge Network for digital connectivity of education with Bangladesh. (All important university connected, their research & Paper is published in National Knowledge Network)
• The 7th new rail-link between Agartala and Akhaura is being financed under grant assistance of India. The ‘Maitree Express’ between Kolkata and Dhaka now operates 4 days a week and has been converted into a fully AC train service.

3. Energy:

• Rooppur atomic energy project, an Indo-Russian project in Bangladesh. Under it, India will provide personnel training, consultation support and participate in the construction and erection activity and non-critical materials supply to the site in Bangladesh.
• India currently exports 660 MW of electricity, on a daily basis, to Bangladesh. Recently a project to supply additional 500 MW of power supply from India to Bangladesh was inagurated.
• Another inaugurated project included the construction of 130-kilometre India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project for the transportation of oil.

4.Defence:

• Through defence cooperation framework pact, India is providing Military equipment and technology transfer for enhancing cooperation in the field of strategic and operational studies.

5.Space: South Asian Satellite (SAARC Satellite)

• It has been launched to boost regional connectivity in the areas of disaster management, tele-education, tele-medicine inter-government networks etc.

6.Line of Credit

• India has extended 3 Lines of Credits to Bangladesh in the last 7 years amounting to US$ 8 billion. This makes Bangladesh the largest recipient of LOC funds from India till date.
• The new LOC will cover projects in areas of Port Page 4 of 7 Construction, Railways, Roads, Airports, Power & Energy, Telecommunications, and Shipping etc.

Way Forward

• People to People Contact – e-Visa and Tourism. (Apply visa through online).
• Solving Tista Issue.
• Development aid to curb migrants.
• Practical and humane solution to illegal immigrants.
• Climate change cooperation.