INDIA - BANGLADESH
○ The foundation of India’s relationship with Bangladesh was laid in the 1971
Bangladesh Liberation War. India provided critical military and material
support to assist Bangladesh in its fight for independence from Pakistan.
○
○ The instability continued for a few decades until Sheikh Hasina came to power
in 1996 and scripted a new chapter in bilateral ties with a treaty on the sharing
of Ganga waters.
○
○ Since then, India and Bangladesh have built cooperation in Trade, Energy,
Infrastructure, Connectivity and Defence.
○
○ Bangladesh has emerged as India’s largest trade partner in South Asia, with
bilateral trade reaching USD 18 billion in 2021-2022 from USD 10.8 billion in
2020-21, though there was a dip in 2022-23 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and
the Russia-Ukraine War.
○
○ India is also the second biggest trade partner of Bangladesh, with exports
amounting to USD 2 billion in Indian markets.
○
○ In 2022, both nations concluded a joint feasibility study on a Comprehensive
Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The CEPA gains additional
significance as Bangladesh is set to lose its Least Developed Country (LDC)
status after 2026, thereby losing its duty-free and quota-free market access in
India.
○ Bangladesh will be eager to finalize a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India,
and also pursue the China-backed Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP). This dual approach raises concerns for India.
○
○ India and Bangladesh have successfully resolved long-pending issues, like the
Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) in 2015 and a maritime dispute over territorial
waters.
○
○ India and Bangladesh in 2023 inaugurated the Akhaura-Agartala Rail Link that
connects Bangladesh and the northeast through Tripura.
○ The link has given India access to Chattogram and Mongla ports in Bangladesh
for the movement of cargo.
○
○ The BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity focuses on connecting
major transport projects in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand, thereby
establishing a shipping network.
○ India will focus on the Matarbari Port, 100 km from Tripura, being built
by Bangladesh. This port will create a vital industrial corridor
connecting Dhaka and Northeast India.
○
○ In 2018, Russia, Bangladesh and India signed a memorandum on cooperation
in the implementation of the Rooppur Nuclear power plant project,
Bangladesh's first nuclear power reactor.
India and Bangladesh share 4096.7 km of border; the longest land boundary that India
shares with any of its neighbors.
○ The two also conduct Joint Exercises - Army (Exercise Sampriti) and Navy
(Exercise Bongo Sagar).
India and Bangladesh are also engaged in regional cooperation through multilateral
forums such as SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), BIMSTEC
(Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and Indian Ocean
Rim Association (IORA).
○ India and Bangladesh share 54 common rivers, but only two treaties have
been signed so far of Ganga Waters Treaty and The Kushiyara River Treaty.
● The other major rivers, such as the Teesta and Feni are still
under negotiation.
○ The issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh to India, encompassing both
refugees and economic migrants, continues to be a significant concern.
○ This influx strains Indian border states, impacting resources and security. The
problem intensified with Rohingya refugees entering India through
Bangladesh.
○ The National Register of Citizens (NRC), aimed at curbing such migration, has
raised concerns in Bangladesh.
● Bangladesh seeks Indian support in persuading Myanmar to take back
the Rohingyas who were forced to take refuge in Bangladesh.
● Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sworn in for a fifth term
on January 11 after a landslide victory in an election boycotted by the
opposition
