A new spring in India-Bangladesh ties

In the misty chill of Delhi\’s fierce winter, India and Bangladesh heralded a new spring in their bilateral ties. Taking inspiration from the unity themes in the works of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, the two iconic poets of the subcontinent, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed on Jan 11 took pathbreaking steps to bring their countries closer in the joint task of confronting terrorism and building a new future around three Ts - trade, transit and transport.

In the first state visit hosted by India in 2010, Manmohan Singh announced $1 billion line of credit, the largest ever one-time grant India has given to any other country, to spur the economic transformation of Bangladesh.

The aid could be crucial in addressing Bangladesh\’s burgeoning infrastructure needs and helping Sheikh Hasina realise what she calls Vision 2021, which aims at transforming Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021.

India also agreed to supply 250 MW of electricity through its central grid and inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on expanding power cooperation that will include building inter-grid connectivity.

Signalling a new trust on an issue that had shadowed their ties earlier, the two sides inked three treaties on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, mutual transfer of convicted prisoners, and cooperation in the fight against international terrorism, organised crime and illegal drug trafficking. The three security-related pacts pave the way for a formal extradition treaty and will help New Delhi press Dhaka for the transfer of suspected insurgents from its northeastern states who have taken shelter in Bangladeshi territory over the years.

The two sides took important steps to improve connectivity, including a decision on starting a rail link between Akhaura in Bangladesh to Agartala in India. They also decided to declare Ashuganj in Bangladesh and Silghat in India as ports of call.

Reciprocating India\’s warmth and resolve to walk the extra mile to put bilateral ties on a new footing, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladeshi territory would not be used for anti-India activities by insurgents from

northeastern states. \”Terrorists do not have any religion or country and are giving a bad name to Islam, which symbolises peace.\”

In a sign of transforming relations, India also acceded to a long-pending demand of Dhaka by allowing rail transit between Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. Sheikh Hasina agreed to open up the Bangladesh ports of Mongla and Chittagong for transit of goods by India as well as Nepal and Bhutan.

The camaraderie was in full flow at the state banquet Manmohan Singh hosted for the Bangladeshi leader. The high-profile guests, particularly Bengalis, raved about the delicious hilsa bred in Bangladesh\’s Padma river.

Sheikh Hasina spoke movingly about six years she spent in exile in India after her father, the legendary Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, was assassinated in 1975.

\”Your visit will open a new chapter in our relations,\” Manmohan Singh said warmly, stressing increased collaboration to address \”common challenges of climate change, and assuring food, water and energy security to our peoples\”.

Sheikh Hasina\’s four-day visit to India (Jan 10-13) scored in both substance and atmospherics.

The bilateral relationship has been on an upswing since Sheikh Hasina and her secular allies swept the December 2008 polls, marking a clean break with her predecessor Khaleda Zia\’s regime, which was dominated by anti-India Islamist hardliners.

The significance of the visit, said Wahiduddin Mahmud, professor of economics at the University of Dhaka, lies not in \”terms of the number of agreements and MoUs signed; much more important is the expression of political will for cooperation\”.

Hiranmay Karlekar, Bangladesh expert and author of \”Bangladesh: The New Afghanistan?\”, hailed the results of Sheikh Hasina\’s visit, but contended that there was no room for complacency if the process of win-win improvement had to be lasting.

\”For that to happen, the agreements signed will have to be promptly and sincerely implemented and new agreements, fair to both sides, arrived at in critical areas like river-water sharing and the demarcation of maritime boundaries.\”

By taking bold steps to address each other\’s long-standing concerns over terrorism, trade, transit, transport and river water-sharing, India and Bangladesh, in whose independence New Delhi played a starring role, are scripting a new chapter in their bilateral ties that could potentially serve as a model for the region.

On the business side, a new synergy is unfolding. The opening of ports to India and neighbours could earn up to $1 billion annually in extra trade revenues, said Annisul Huq, president of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

India\’s Bharti group has proposed $1 billion to build its telecom network and Meru Cabs along with Tatas are planning a transport service with 20,000 radio cabs in capital Dhaka.

The Bangladesh media hailed the visit.

\”Prime Ministers Sheikh Hasina and Dr. Manmohan Singh seem to be inspired by a higher call than mere diplomacy in dealing with the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India,\” said Financial Express.

The summit between them \”bears a mark of maturity in handling the sensitive issues vital to the mutual interest of both the neighbours\”, The Daily Star said in an editorial.

But the two principal architects of the ongoing transformation best encapsulated the visit. Sheikh Hasina said that she would not only work for \”Sonar Bangla\” (a throwback to the golden era of bountiful and prosperous Bengal of yore) but also for lasting peace in South Asia.

Added Manmohan Singh: \”This visit has opened a new chapter in India-Bangladesh relations, reflecting the true unity of minds and hearts.\”