Dhruv C Katoch
The recent visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India signifies a quantum leap made in bilateral relations between the two countries over the past few years. That Sheikh Hasina chose to visit India for four days, highlighted the importance attached to the visit by Bangladesh. Similarly, the fact that India laid on the red carpet for the visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself going to the tarmac to receive Sheikh Hasina, highlighted the importance of her visit to India.
Indeed, ever since the Awami League assumed power in Bangladesh in 2009, the earlier tepid relationship has been on a consistent upward trajectory, which has also seen the successful conclusion of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between the two countries, leading to an exchange of enclaves in 2015—an issue that had remained intractable since the birth of Bangladesh in 1971.
A total of 36 agreements were signed during the visit, of which 14 were in the field of private investment. The MoUs signed ranged from the economic, defence and power sectors to the peaceful use of nuclear energy highlighting the tremendous progress made in
Indo-Bangla relations in the last eight years. However, what Bangladesh really looked for was an agreement on the sharing of the Teesta waters. That remained elusive, casting a shadow on what undoubtedly was a landmark visit. That notwithstanding, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance to visit Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for an “early resolution” to the Teesta water dispute, made in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been widely
welcomed as it defines both India’s commitment to the Teesta water-sharing agreement and the Central
government’s commitment to work with the West Bengal government to conclude the agreement for which the framework was initiated in 2011.
The stalled Teesta treaty continues to eclipse bilateral relations as water from the Teesta is a very emotive issue in Bangladesh. But leaving that aside, attention needs to be given to the significant forward movement that has taken place during the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s visit on many other issues, especially in the field of defence. India announced lines of credit (LoC) of USD 5 billion, including USD 500 million for defence purchases, which is the largest such LoC extended to any country so far. Presently, the major supplier of weapons and military equipment to Bangladesh is China. In 2016 China also sold two submarines to Bangladesh at a cost of USD 203 million. The type 035G diesel-electric submarines, armed with torpedoes and mines, are capable of attacking enemy ships and submarines, which is worrisome for India. Some Indian analysts, including India’s former Naval Chief, Admiral Arun Prakash, were inclined to view that the acquisition of submarines by Bangladesh was provocative and part of a larger Chinese strategy to encircle India, though others like Bharat Karnad felt that it was simply a good economic deal, which Dhaka could not pass by. In any case, it became incumbent on India to negate any strategic benefit that the sale of submarines to Bangladesh by China could have made. That is why the defence agreements signed mark an important milestone. India and Bangladesh are already cooperating in facing the common challenge of terrorism, as both the countries are on the radar of radical Muslim organisations. This cooperation has denied safe bases to Indian extremist groups in Bangladesh and has also impacted on the supply of FICN (Fake Indian Currency Notes), which are widely believed to be printed in Pakistan and which find their way to India via Nepal and also via the porous India- Bangladesh border to the Malda district in West Bengal and thence to other parts of the country. After cooperation in the counter terrorism effort, the cooperation in defence takes on an added significance.
A USD 500 million LoC for purchase of defence equipment is an important first step in this direction. Bangladesh mainly meets its requirements of defence equipment from China as India does not sell weapons and equipments manufactured within the country to it. A strong market exists for the export of Indian-manufactured defence equipments to Bangladesh, which needs to be exploited now. Besides low-end defence equipment, this could also encompass the sale of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH Dhruv) and patrol boats manufactured within the country for the maritime domain. India needs to become a major arms exporter, much on the lines of China and needs to shun its inhibitions on this score.
Amongst the defence MoUs signed, were MoUs on defence cooperation framework, Defence Services Staff Colleges between the two nations National Defence Colleges (to increase cooperation in the field of strategic and operational studies) and defence line of credit of USD 500 million. What was significant in the visit was the
honouring of the families of Indian soldiers who were killed in action during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. Sheikh Hasina personally honoured seven of the families in a function organised in the Manekshaw Centre by the Indian Army, which was also attended by Prime Minister Modi. Over the next two to three months, the families of all the soldiers, who laid down their lives for the cause of the Liberation of Bangladesh will also be honoured by Bangladesh. This has reestablished a strong emotional connect between the two countries which has been further bolstered by India by offering to give scholarships to the wards of the Mukti Bahini soldiers to study in India and also agreeing to provide free medical care to 100 Mukti Bahini veterans.
Sheikh Hasina has thus looked back to the past, when the Indian armed forces fought shoulder to shoulder with the Mukti Bahini to get freedom for Bangladesh. While speaking at a reception organised by India Foundation in her honour, she spoke of the horrors of the genocide committed by Pakistan on her people and the fact that both, India and Bangladesh, shed their blood to Liberate Bangladesh. She spoke of getting together again to fight the common scourge of poverty and terrorism,
symbolically through such cooperation. The defence aspect of the relationship has thus much greater significance than what the simple signing of a few MoUs may suggest. It holds the prospect of cooperation at a much deeper level and signifies a quantum leap in the
relationship between the two countries.
(The writer is Director, India Foundation and the Editor of SALUTE Magazine)
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