The success of the just concluded visit to India of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has to be judged by how India’s handsome response to her various gestures of friendship will be viewed in Bangaldesh. Ms Hasina has sought to put an end to the policy of her political rivals at home to provide a sanctuary to anti-India extremists. The arrest of the topmost leaders of the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) provided the backdrop to her visit this week. Clearly, this initiative has laid the foundation for improved relations between the two South Asian neighbours. It remains to be seen how Islamist opinion in Bangladesh which, along with a section of the country’s middle class and elite, remains unhappy about the breakup of Pakistan, will respond to improved relations with India. There is no doubt that the Awami League’s massive electoral victory in late 2008 has opened a historic window of opportunity to take India-Bangladesh relations to a qualitatively different level. The importance of this context has to be grasped because the League has been in power for only about 10 of the 40-year life of Bangladesh. Equally, attitudes in New Delhi have also changed, thanks to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s unilateral gestures of friendship towards Bangaldesh.
Two significant initiatives which India has taken to help Bangaldesh are, first, the promise of 250 Mw of power to the energy-deficient neighbour, even when India itself is in deficit, and, second, the offer of a $1-billion line of credit for infrastructure development. Another important Indian initiative is to reduce the list of negative items of import from Bangladesh and extend to Bangladesh the zero tariff treatment, available to Saarc’s less developed countries. In turn, Bangladesh has given India access to two ports, Chittagong and Mongla, through which Northeast India can access the Bay of Bengal. Both sides have taken small steps to facilitate transit of goods — through India from Nepal and Bhutan to Bangladesh and between India and its northeast through Bangladesh. Also, it has been decided to take forward the project to link Tripura by rail to Bangladesh.
There remains a long list of significant issues which need to be sorted out to realise the full potential for bilateral relations. The two countries have to agree on their maritime boundaries so as to go ahead with gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal. This can change the energy picture in both. Smooth and easy transit of goods through Bangladesh is crucial for the future economic growth of Northeast India, which suffers from both physical and psychological isolation. Enormous work remains ahead in making good use of the rivers and water resources that flow through Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Only a token beginning has been made in this regard by deciding to jointly study the flow in the river Kosi. Substantial progress also needs to be made in promoting cross-border investment. A major initiative by the Tatas to invest in Bangladesh has not yielded anything. Cordial relations with a rapidly growing neighbour are in themselves important for India. They are important for Bangladesh too in its quest for a better quality of life for its own people. Changed mindsets in both countries can resolve many longstanding issues.