India, after opening a window towards her west neighbour Pakistan, to blow the breeze of peace and mutual trust, is now stepping ahead towards east to mend relations with erstwhile East Pakistan, now free independent secular Bangladesh. Minister of External Affairs has made a successful preparatory trip to Dhaka; U.P.A. Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to visit Dhaka on July 25, followed by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on September 6-7. In between Union Home Minister is also expected to pay a visit before Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
India and Bangladesh have many irritants in their relations. Bangladesh owes her existence to the crucial role played by Indira Gandhi Government. On December 16, 1971, the historic movement came when Gen. A.A.K. Niazi, Commandant of erstwhile Eastern Command of Pakistan was made to put his hand on instrument of surrender to Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Arora and Commander of Mukti Bahini, General Ataul Ghani Osmani was sidelined.
The question is still alive; had it not been more prudent to swap Arora with Osmani or at least let Commander of Mukti Bahini share the document? Certainly Bangladesh would have felt more satisfied to see Osmani on the table. The irritant was there and became vocal when photo frame of the ceremony could not find space in the gallery to depict “liberation movement.”
Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman was in the custody of Pakistan and was released in London after the fall of Dhaka. On route to Dhaka, he briefly stopped in New Delhi to personally offer his gratitude for Indian assistance; however he declined to take an Indian plane, offered for the journey. This was a bold indication on behalf of new country that she intends to stand in the world community as sovereign entity, politically as well diplomatically. We need to study the history of our relations and introspect if we have been cautious in our dealings and gave due respect to the sentiments of that country. India’s role in the birth of Bangladesh is well known and well appreciated by everyone in Bangladesh. Yet, within a few years, this relationship started turning sour. The question crops up every now and again, what went wrong? Why have India and Bangladesh become estranged and distant?
Yes, there are some issues still hanging unresolved, but our relationship really suffered because of a sense of mistrust and neglect. How fast and how tall grew this mistrust may be gauged by the tragedy of Sheikh Mujib’s assassination (August 15, 1975). India’s external intelligence (RAW) got wind of the conspiracy and the Chief of RAW, Mr. K.N. Rao himself travelled down to Dhaka to apprise Sheikh Mujib, but he rebuffed and refused to believe the crucial information and the tragedy struck very soon. Now let us forget the past and try to re-win mutual trust by some affirmative action.
A new irritant occurred when Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Sigh’s unpleasant remark appeared on official website. Interacting with journalists on June 30, he said: “(With) Bangladesh, our relations are quite good. But we must reckon that at least 25% of the population of Bangladesh swears by the Jamaat-ul-Islami (viewed by Indian intelligence as a radical Islamist group) and they are very anti-Indian and they are in the clutches, many times, of the ISI (Pakistan’s military spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence).”
Though crises management efforts of India showed good results, however immediate diplomatic damage could not be prevented; the Jamaat, which is in the political opposition in Bangladesh, reacted sharply.
“The comment of Indian premier that Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is anti-Indian, and acts in accordance with advice of the ISI is false, baseless and it does not go with the status of the premier,” said Jamaat acting secretary general Azharul Islam in a statement. He stressed that the Jamaat believed in the principle of having a good relationship with India.
Refuting the allegation of being in the clutches of ISI, he said that the organisation is for maintaining Bangladesh’s independence, sovereignty and interests. The statement blamed Indian intelligence agencies for confusing Singh with misinformation.
Analyst C.U. Bhaskar, head of the National Maritime Foundation think tank, said the fact that the prime minister of India made such a comment called for introspection on India’s Bangladesh policy. “India has treated Bangladesh in a less than appropriate manner, India has been found wanting,” he said. “It goes to the credit of the Bangladeshi leadership and diplomats that the relationship has remained stable so far.”
To clear the air, the Prime Minister himself spoke to his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina next day and told her how much he was looking forward to his Bangladesh trip. He also underlined that ‘goodwill’ existed among the (ruling) political parties in both countries and encouraging people-to-people contacts was a priority in the relationship. He said India attached “the highest importance to relations” with Bangladesh and “a strong and productive partnership between the two countries was in the interest of the two peoples and the people of South Asia as a whole”.
Showing utmost diplomatic maturity, Bangladesh also took step to put a lid on the controversy by saying “there is no misunderstanding now and such mistakes do happen”.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni told Indian journalists accompanying S.M. Krishna, “Such mistakes do happen. There is no scope for any misunderstanding now. We are looking forward to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Bangladesh,” here.
It is noted that India-Bangladesh relations have improved significantly since Sheikh Hasina came to power in December 2008. During her 2010 visit to New Delhi, a number of infrastructure projects were identified to be undertaken under the $1 billion line of credit extended by India. Both sides have also agreed on inter-grid connectivity and setting up power plants under joint ventures and transit facility to Bangladesh to Nepal and also to Bhutan.
Indian Minister of External Affairs has wrapped his Dhaka trip with a positive note. During this visit, the countries signed two trade-related pacts, including an exchange of instruments of ratification related to the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) and Standard Operating Procedure for the entry of trucks from Bhutan into territories of the two countries near the border.
They also reviewed the steps to enhance exports from Bangladesh, to address trade imbalance. Trade imbalance has been a key irritant in bilateral relations, providing a handle to anti-India forces in the neighbouring country.
“The constant interaction between the two business communities has resulted in several joint venture agreements for export oriented manufacturing activities in Bangladesh. Indian investments in Bangladesh will provide employment and also promote bilateral trade,” Krishna said at a joint press conference with his counterpart Moni.
He noted that exports from Bangladesh to India have increased by 56% in the first 10 months of 2010-11. The annual duty free quota for export of garments from Bangladesh to India has been raised from 8 to 10 million pieces,” he added.
Cooperation in the power sector got a fresh boost with India responding positively to Bangladesh’s request for setting up of a high technology joint venture thermal power plant of 1320 MW capacity at Khulna. India has completed the feasibility report for the project, Krishna said.
Saying negotiations for interim sharing of Teesta and Feni river waters and the talks for the resolution of the boundary issue were making considerable progress, Krishna reaffirmed that India attaches “the highest importance” to its relations with Bangladesh and sought a deeper and stronger partnership.
“Both countries recognise the importance of cooperation in the field of security and are determined to jointly combat the menace of insurgency, militancy and terrorism. Our leadership has been in agreement that the territory of either would not be allowed for activities inimical to the other,” he added.
India and Bangladesh are also gearing up to solve a protracted cross-border land conflict. Both nations are preparing for a land swap of enclaves or pieces of land which lie in each other’s territories. These enclaves are pieces of land that the Maharaja of Cooch Behar and Rangpur won or lost in gambling and have existed since 1947. But, soon after Bangladesh’s liberation in 1971, a pact was drawn between New Delhi and Dhaka for exchange of these territories.
India has 111 enclaves or nearly 17,000 acres of land within Bangladesh. Bangladesh, meanwhile, has 51 enclaves or 7,000 acres within India. The two nations will undertake a headcount of residents in these enclaves, first ever since 1971. The residents of the enclaves on both sides of the border will then be given the option to decide which country they want to live in.
Currently, neither the police nor development agencies can enter these enclaves on either side of the border. As a result, these territories are grossly-underdeveloped, lacking in basic infrastructure and education facilities. Hence, the land swap will be hugely beneficial for the people residing in these particular enclaves with access to better amenities, services and policing. The land swap is expected to de-escalate India’s border conflict with Bangladesh and help improve overall ties between the two neighbours. The Home Minister is expected to visit Bangladesh, before Prime Minister’s visit, to formalise the land swap.
Keeping in view the preparatory work being done for P.M.’s visit, one can only hope in the words of Bangladeshi high commission in New Delhi, the visit is expected to “infuse fresh dynamism into the multi-faceted, multi-dimensional relationship between the two countries.” We can also hope that our Intelligence Agencies and Masters in South Block will change their attitude towards neighbouring countries. It will be in our overall interest to win their trust and make an atmosphere in which from Rangoon to Kabul, from Kathmandu and Colombo all routes are open like European countries and dream of SAARC may convert into a reality from a formality.
[The writer is Gen. Sec of Forum for Civil Rights, email: syyedagha@hotmail.com]