IPCS Special

Report

India-Bangladesh Relations
Issues, Problems and Recent Developments

97 Piyali Dutta

SEPTEMBER 2010

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

B-7/3, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi, 110029

www.ipcs.org
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Piyali Dutta was a Research Intern at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. .

The author is responsible for the facts, views or opinion

expressed in this essay.

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 INDIA-BANGLADESH RELATIONS
ISSUES, PROBLEMS AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
PIYALI DUTTA

Bangladesh, shares 4094 kilometers of has now become the largest single source
land border with India on three sides, the of its imports.
fourth side being open to the Bay of
Bengal. Political discontentment in Bangladesh
tends to stem from the huge trade gap,
Various issues need to be resolved if the supported by the fact that India has a lot
relationship between the two are to be of non trade barriers for Bangladeshi
improved, from sharing the water of 54 exports. Even though exports from
international rivers that flow from India Bangladesh are growing at a healthy pace,
to Bangladesh to controlling terrorism there is no sign of reducing this trade gap.
and promoting economic development.
The non trade barriers, as pointed out by
I Bangladesh Commerce Ministry, and cited
TRADE by the Daily Star include: 2
 Laboratory tests in Bangladesh,
The trade relationship has had a especially for food products,
detrimental effect on bilateral cosmetics, and leather and textiles
relationship. The geographical proximity products.
of India to Bangladesh has made it one of  Packaging requirements
its biggest trading partners.  Inadequate infrastructure facilities
such as warehousing, transshipment
There are pressing concerns in yard, parking yard and
Bangladesh regarding the large bilateral  Connecting roads at land customs
trade deficit with India and the large stations also hinder exports from
volumes of informal imports from India Bangladesh; the land border trade is
across the land border which avoid subject to very serious administrative
Bangladeshi import duties. Bangladesh’s constraints in Bangladesh. The most
bilateral trade deficit with India has been important of the Customs posts with
increasing rapidly on average at about comprehensive Customs clearance
9.5% annually. However, the deficit powers is at Benapole, which borders
narrowed for the first time in fiscal year Petrapole on the Indian side and
2005/06 when Bangladesh’s exports rose which is on main roads linking
to $242 million while India’s exports fell Kolkata with Jessore and Dhaka.
to $1.8 billion from $2 billion in officially
recorded exports.1 For Bangladesh, India As per the report by Bangladesh
Commerce Ministry, trade barriers
1
Executive Summary Report, 2005, “Studies on include:3
India-Bangladesh Trade, Trade Policies and
Potential FTA”,
2
http://www.worldbank.org.bd/WBSITE/EXTER Sajjadur Rahman, “Analysts urge India to
NAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/BANGL erase trade barriers to Bangladesh”, The Daily
ADESHEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20610536~menu Star, 11 January 2010
3
PK:295780~pagePK:64027988~piPK:64027986 “On India-Bangladesh Trade Imbalances”,
~theSitePK:295760,00.html Diganta , 2 February 2010,
IPCS Special Report 97, September 2010

 Imposition of state tax

 Anti‐dumping (AD) is one of the WTO‐ Another kind of informal trade, termed
legitimate measures introduced by ‘technical’ smuggling, involves explicit
India during the 1990s, illegal practices such as under invoicing,
 Countervailing duties misclassification and bribery of Customs
and other officials. During the 1990’s
90% of industrial tariffs are now at about three quarters of imports were by
12.5%, far lower and far more uniform land and sea which has recently shown a
then they have ever been in the past 50 decline to between 50% and 60%. The
years.4 From the perspective of SAARC cause of concern for Bangladesh, thus, is
countries, including Bangladesh, these more intense than that of India, since
changes mean that Indian domestic much larger volumes of goods are
markets, for most manufactured goods, smuggled from India to Bangladesh
are highly competitive, with prices that escaping customs duties. Trade deficit is
are close to world prices, and are likely to intertwined with other issues like trans‐
be difficult to penetrate even with shipment, transit and export of natural
complete exemption from Indian tariffs gas, one of the natural resource possessed
under bilateral or multilateral free trade by the independent nation of Bangladesh.
arrangements such as those planned In a recent visit to India, Mr. H.E. Tariq A.
under SAFTA. Karim, Bangladesh High Commissioner to
India at the Institute of Peace and Conflict
Illegal and Informal Trade Studies, New Delhi noted that “…if India
Informal trade carried out through were to facilitate Bangladesh’s exports to
porous land border between India and India by completely removing all tariff
Bangladesh adds to the trade deficit, and non‐tariff barriers, then the loss in
dating back to the initial years of revenues to India from duties and levies
Bangladesh’s birth. The substantial, would be insignificant while in return,
informal and unrecorded trade, carried huge goodwill will be created…”5 which is
across the India‐Bangladesh border, is actually essential for a progressive
more quasi legal in nature, and is often relationship between two democracies.
described as ‘informal’ rather than illegal,
since there is wide participation of local II
people in the border areas who operate in TRANSIT
liaison with the anti‐smuggling
enforcement agencies. Informal trade of Transit was used by India with Pakistan
this kind often involves large numbers of till the 1965 war, after which it declined,
local people individually transporting but with the consequent emergence of
small quantities as head loads or through Bangladesh, it failed to change.
bicycle rickshaws, also known as ‘bootleg’ Immediately after Bangladeshi
smuggling. independence, it allowed transit in air and
sea routes to India while the major issue
http://horizonspeaks.wordpress.com/2010/02/02/ of transit through road remained
on-india-bangladesh-trade-imbalances unattended.
4
Executive Summary Report, “Studies on India-
Bangladesh Trade, Trade Policies and Potential
FTA”,
http://www.worldbank.org.bd/WBSITE/EXTER
5
NAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/BANGL Seminar Report, #313, 17 February
ADESHEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20610536~menu 2010, “India-Bangladesh Relations”,
PK:295780~pagePK:64027988~piPK:64027986 http://www.ipcs.org/seminar/bangladesh/indiaba
~theSitePK:295760,00.html ngladesh-relations-829.html

2
 India-Bangladesh Relations: An Update

While air transit is still widely used than India, New Delhi is left with the only
water transit, it has been considered option of urging the reopening of the
uncompetitive over the years. The goods northeastern routes through Bangladesh
carried from the Northeast of India to its West, and with Myanmar and south‐
reaches the mainland after traversing East Asia to the East. The region that is
Assam and North Bengal, taking a route also rich in energy resources like natural
much longer than what could have been gas and hydro‐electricity can progress,
the shortest through Bangladesh. In spite thus addressing problems that give rise to
of India’s frequent attempts to pursue the long‐ standing grievances, which in turn
Bangladesh government to open transit encourage insurgency surrounding the
for its economic activities, even at the cost region.
of a hefty sum, it has been continuously
refused on grounds that it is a possible The benefits of transit facility between
threat to national security. India and Bangladesh are not limited to
the Indian growth list. Bangladesh, whose
Transshipment versus Transit average GDP is 6% per year, can also
Transshipment refers to the shipment of become a regional hub.
goods or containers to an intermediate
destination, and then to yet another Role of the Asian Development Bank
destination. This has been achieved by ADB (Asian Development Bank) Country
India in its relationship with Bangladesh. Director Hua Du, pointed out in a seminar
Transit refers to the passage of Indian to Bangladesh, “You can benefit
good across Bangladeshi borders to and tremendously through opening up of
from the North Eastern states of Indian transit and great opportunities for
owned surface transport, while crossing from east to west and giving the
transshipment may also refer to the same land‐locked neighbours access to the
movement using Bangladesh‐owned sea.”6
transport. This remains an issue of
contention. The controversial issue of connecting
Bangladesh to the Asian Highway is
Bangladesh, on the 31 May, 2010 signed sustained by the anti Indian groups in
an agreement to finalize a transshipment Bangladesh. The Asian highway, also
deal with India to allow Indian goods to known as the Great Asian Highway, is a
be transported to the northeastern city of cooperative project among countries in
Tripura in the state of Assam through Asia and Europe and the United Nations
Bangladeshi territory. Anything produced Economic and Social Commission for Asia
in the northeast region of India faces the and the Pacific [ESCAP], to improve the
difficulty of marketing to the rest of the highway systems in Asia. Anti‐India
country, the main reason being the groups in Bangladesh for the opposition
distance to the port of Kolkata. With of the Asian highway scheme feel that:
globalization and the policy of
liberalization no foreign or private  Transit facility once given is difficult
company is going to be inclined to invest to take back.
in the north‐east corner of India owing to
several hassles, including the rise in
transportation cost. Thus hampering the 6
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, “Transit,
development of the north eastern market. Asian Highway and other issues on table for
Bangladeshi Government”, American Chronicle,
To deal with such logistical problems of September 24, 2009,
linking the Northeast with the rest of http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view
/118555
IPCS Special Report 97, September 2010

 It may give rise to more violent acts of water has been shaping relationships
terrorism and insurgency within the region’s states.
 With the availability of transit
facilities to the North‐eastern Indian The Farakka Barrage
states that now depend on The origin of the dispute can be traced
Bangladesh for imports would move back to the Treaty of Friendship,
towards selling its own products to Cooperation and Peace signed by then
the region and Bangladesh will lose. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and
 There is a fear of destroying the roads Bangladesh’s founding leader and Prime
and highways of Bangladesh by the Minister Sheik Mujibur Rahman on 19
Indian traders and gradually military March, 1972. According to the treaty, the
personnel passing through. two nations established a Joint River
 There is an abundant lack of trust Commission to work towards the
between India and Bangladesh that common interests and sharing of water
resulted from India’s contradicted resources, irrigation, floods and cyclone
position on the Farakka Barrage and control. As per the treaty, the Farakka
the sharing of Ganga Water. Barrage was built in 1974, about 10
kilometers from the border of
The Chittagong port can become a Bangladesh, controlling the flow of the
modern busy port like Singapore and Ganges, possessing strong economic and
China serving the SAARC countries. religious importance, diverting some of
 Huge foreign investment may be the water into a feeder canal linking the
attracted by Bangladesh and finally, a Hooghly River, keeping it silt free.
throbbing service sector like banks,
insurance, hotels, rest houses, petrol With increasing demands for water in
pumps etc. may develop around the Kolkata for industrial and domestic use,
Transcontinental roads and railways. and for irrigational purposes in other
 There is an estimate of direct parts of West Bengal, dispute over the
economic gain from transit fees. It sharing of water is intensifying. The
ranges from 500 crore taka to 4,666 objective behind the construction of the
crore taka. Farakka Barrage was to increase the lean
 The mutual transit will give period flow of the Bhagirathi‐Hooghly
Bangladesh a much shorter route to river branch of the Ganges to increase the
China and an initiative to link Chinese water depth at the Kolkata port which
province of Yunan with Seven Sisters was threatened by siltation. In November
of India, Myanmar, Thailand and 1977 the two countries proposed a five
Bangladesh. year agreement on water sharing.
However, the basic issue remained
unaddressed, leading to its lapse in 1982.
III Finally a comprehensive bilateral treaty
WATER was signed by the Indian Prime minister
H. D. Deve Gowda and his Bangladeshi
For centuries, natural resources have counterpart Sheik Hasina Wajed on 12
been a source of continual conflict December, 1996. This treaty established a
between nations, though unlike oil, which thirty year water sharing arrangement
still is a major cause of discord between with guaranteed minimum quantities of
nations, water remains a less disputed water supply for Bangladesh, whose
issue. But this varies regionally. In the rights as a lower riparian country was
Middle Eastern and North African states, recognized.

4
 India-Bangladesh Relations: An Update

The 30 year water sharing treaty interpretation says that this treaty is
envisaged that the water of the Ganges successful in settling the dispute over the
River would be distributed from Farakka sharing of water, but contrary views on
for the two countries between 1 January the part of India and Bangladesh have
and 31 May of each year, and that India been extended over this treaty that also
was required to maintain the flow of has the provision of being reviewed at the
Farakka at the average level of the end of five years, or even at the end of
previous 40 years including any critical two years, if so wished.
period when Bangladesh would continue
to receive 35000 cusec of flow. This treaty The Bangladeshi view suggests:
essentially regarded the lean season flows  There was unilateral diversion of
related to actual flows at various levels Ganga water by India at Farakka
not exceeding 75% dependable flows, as prior to the 30 year water sharing
in past agreements. The basic formula of treaty.
equal sharing during the lean season
flows had two modifications at the upper
and lower extremes. Governmental

7
http://www.defence.pk/forums/bangladesh-defence/59471-india-going-ahead-tipai-dam-2.html
 This was a case of a large and more share and realize that water is an
powerful country disregarding the intangible asset that does not recognize
needs and interests of a small and political boundaries…there should be an
weaker neighbor, resulting in emphasis on water conservation and
reduction in flows that had serious optimum water management”.9
adverse effects on Bangladesh. This
view further ascribes to the big Teesta River Dispute
brotherly attitude of India over her The Teesta River enters Bangladesh near
neighbours.8 Nilphamari district and courses 45
 Critics also emphasized kilometers through the predominant rice‐
environmental hazards such as growing districts of Rangpur, Lalmonirhat
raised salinity levels, contaminated and Gaibandha before meeting the
fisheries, hindered navigation and a Brahmaputra River in Kunigram. The
threat to the water quality and Teesta River floodplain that includes the
quantity. Silt levels were believed to extreme northwest region of the country
have an adverse effect on the accounts for 14% of the total cropped
Hooghly River and the Kolkata Port. area in 2001. Around 63% of the total
cropped area in the region is irrigated
The Indian view suggests: laying down a direct link between
 That the water allocated to irrigational water availability and
Bangladesh leaves India with less agricultural use. The floodplain which is
water necessary for the functioning of presently considered a dry zone depends
the Kolkata port and the National on the Trans Boundary River flows
Thermal Power Corporation at between India and Bangladesh.
Farakka.
 Bangladesh has taken an Sheikh Hasina in her three day visit to
unnecessarily rigid and unreasonable India on 10 January 2010 exchanged draft
stand on this issue. Greatly agreements on the Teesta water sharing
overstating its water needs, issue with India, after a two‐day
Bangladesh claims a disproportionate ministerial level meeting of the Joint River
share of water. Commission was held. While Bangladesh
presented a draft on an interim
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India agreement, India presented a draft of a
Mr. H.E. Tariq A. Karim, during his Statement of Principles on the sharing of
address at the Institute of Peace and river water during the dry season. The
Conflict Studies in New Delhi, regarding immediate achievement of this meeting
water sharing between India and was the decision that, within a year, an
Bangladesh commented that agreement over the Teesta River water
“Transparency in these matters is very sharing would be signed. It would provide
important…India and Bangladesh must key support to agricultural production in
not quibble about cusecs or percentage of the northwest region of Bangladesh. One
question that remained unanswered
regarded the amount of river water likely
8
Executive Summary Report, 2005, “Studies on to be shared between the countries.
India-Bangladesh Trade, Trade Policies and
Potential FTA”,
9
http://www.worldbank.org.bd/WBSITE/EXTER Seminar Report, #313, 17 February
NAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/BANGL 2010, “India-Bangladesh Relations”,
ADESHEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20610536~menu http://www.ipcs.org/seminar/bangladesh/indiaba
PK:295780~pagePK:64027988~piPK:64027986 ngladesh-relations-829.html
~theSitePK:295760,00.html
 India-Bangladesh Relations: An Update

Critics suggest a joint initiative to be survival of the newly installed Hasina

undertaken by India and Bangladesh, to government. Border skirmishes occurred
build reservoirs in both the countries that around the village of Padua, also known
would help in storing the excess water as Pyrdiwah, in India adjoining the state
during the rainy season and utilize it of Meghalaya and the Timbli area of
during the dry seasons. Sylhet district in Bangladesh. It was held
that India had illegal possession of the
IV area since 1971. Attention to the disputed
BORDER area was drawn to Bangladesh when the
Indian forces attempted to construct a
footpath from an army outpost in Padua
Land Border across the disputed territory some 300
India and Bangladesh share almost 4096 meters wide to Meghalaya. The refusal of
kilometers of land border, whereas the Indian forces to withdraw led to the
official records suggest that only 6.5 conflict that lasted from 16th to the 19th of
kilometers of land along the Comilla‐ April killing 16 Indian and 11 Bangladeshi
Tripura border is considered as officially soldiers.; 243 people were killed due to
disputed by the governments of both exchange of firing between security forces
countries. But the border disputes of both countries, and further led 10,000
between Bangladesh and India are by no Bangladeshi and 1000 Indians to flee
means confined to demarcation problems. from the disputed area because of the
It is further linked with other problems ongoing tension.
like illegal migration of people and goods
and other cross border criminal activities. Maritime border
While Bangladesh, having concave
Within just six weeks of partition, the coastlines, delimits its sea border
border between India and Pakistan was southward from the edge of its land
drawn by Sir Cyril Radcliff on the basis of boundary, India stretches its claim
the Two Nation Theory. This provided for southeast wards, covering around
India’s control over 112 enclaves and thousands of miles in the Bay of Bengal.
Bangladesh’s control over 32 enclaves Due to competing claims of the two
based on the religious identities of the countries, delimitation of the sea
inhabitants of those areas. An agreement boundary and determining Bangladesh’s
was signed by the Presidents of the two exclusive economic zones have remained
countries in 1972 but since it was not unresolved. Moreover, in terms of
ratified by India it could not be put into determining the continental shelf, the
effect. On the other hand Bangladesh’s presence of the Andamans and Nicobar
immediate ratification of the treaty and Islands puts India, in a favorable position.
the fulfillment of its obligation gave way
to the return of Berubari to India by Territorial Waters
Bangladesh, while India gave permission The issue of demarcating territorial
to Bangladesh to use the Tin Bigha waters led to serious differences between
corridor in 1992 which would work as an the two countries. Questions of
entrance to Bangladesh’s enclaves inside ownership over a new born island known
India. as South Talpatty in Bangladesh and New
Moore/ Purbasha in India spotted by a
Boundary Dispute satellite picture in 1975 in the estuary of
The boundary dispute between India and Haribhanga River on the border of the
Bangladesh in April 2001 worsened two countries has been a source of
relations. It raised questions about the contention since its discovery. In order to
IPCS Special Report 97, September 2010

settle the above dispute Bangladesh In the Northeastern states like Nagaland,
proposed sending a joint Indo‐Bangladesh the population of Bangladeshi, mostly
team to determine the flow of channels of Muslim immigrants, have more than
the river on the basis of existing tripled in the past decade, from 20,000
International Law of the Sea. But the Bangladeshi immigrants in 1991, to more
Indian counterpart sent forces to than 75,000 as of 2001.
establish claims by stationing naval
troops on the island in 1981. After initial Drug Trafficking
resentment by Bangladesh, India agreed Bangladesh is increasingly being used as a
to resolve the issue through negotiations. transit point by drug dealers and the drug
Till now the sovereignty over the island mafia, which dispatches heroin and
nation remains undecided, and recent opium from Burma, and other countries
reports of the press and media suggests of the golden triangle, to different
that Bangladesh views India with destinations. As a result, Bangladesh’s
suspicion in its activities over the Department of Narcotics Control has
disputed piece of landmass on the breast come under the scanner several times and
of an international water. invited criticism. Bangladesh has become
the prime transit route for trafficking
heroin to Europe from Southeast Asia,
V according to a report from the
SECURITY CONCERNS International Narcotics Control Board
(INCB) 2007 annual report’10 .
Illegal immigration is a perennial problem
in almost all nations. Problems of INCB notes that the most common
immigration considered illegal have even methods and routes for smuggling heroin
led to the outbreaks of xenophobic into Bangladesh are by courier from
violence in certain places. India has Pakistan, commercial vehicles and trains
completed around 1357 kilometer fencing from India, and via sea through the Bay of
of the international border with plans to Bengal or overland by truck or public
cover another 2429 kilometer of border transport from Burma.
in the second phase and also plans to
illuminate around 300 kilometer of Anti Terror Cooperation
international border to prevent illegal The Ministry of Defence, India, expressed
migration. Cooperative measures like its interest in seeking Bangladesh’s ‘firm
joint patrolling of the border areas, cooperation’ in fighting anti‐India terror
consular access to prisons and signing of and insurgent outfits operating from its
an extradition treaty are on the verge of soil. The armies of both countries have, in
materializing as steps to increase vigil to the past, proved their might by fighting
check drug and arms trafficking, as well the ULFA cadres, by, for example, the
as illegal immigration, especially the handing over of Arabinda Rajkowa to the
trafficking women and children. The Indian Security agencies.
Centre for Women and Children Studies
based in Bangladesh estimated in 1998
that 27,000 Bangladeshis had been forced
into prostitution in India. Illegal
10
Bangladeshi migrants enter Indian “Bangladesh used as Heroin Trafficking
Territory to settle in rural areas like routes”, March 07, 2008, Narinjara News, Burma
News International,
Nandigram in West Bengal, as share
http://www.bnionline.net/news/narinjara/3719-
croppers. bangladesh-used-as-heroin-
traffickingroutes.html.

8
 India-Bangladesh Relations: An Update

Bangladeshi attempts to cooperate with India or China first. Bangladesh, has

India on anti‐terror grounds, recognized always used China as a counter balance
that some Pakistan based terror outfits against India, was generous this time
had formed a strong nexus with militants towards India, when Prime Minister
in Bangladesh, because of its close Sheikh Hasina decided to visit her Indian
proximity to India with its porous border, counterpart, Prime Minister Manmohan
to carry out attacks in India. India has Singh first.
vital security related concerns vis‐à‐vis
Bangladesh such as sanctuaries enjoyed A major setback to the enthusiasm in
by indigenous Indian ethnic terrorist India of Hasina’s visit, came in the form of
organizations like ULFA, activities of trans her visit to China immediately after that,
border Islamic terrorist groups like wherein a communiqué was issued,
Muslim Liberation Tigers of Assam consisting of similar transit facilities
(MULTA), the Independent Liberation given to China as given to India.
Army of Assam (ILAA) and the People Bangladesh sought Chinese assistance in
United Liberation Front (PULF), the constructing a highway passing through
activities from Bangladesh territory of Myanmar to Yunan province in China. A
pro‐AL Qaeda organizations of Pakistani rail network passing through the same
origins supported by the ISI such as the area has been proposed. Bangladesh was
LeT, HuJI, and Harkat‐ul‐Mujahideen also reportedly engaged in persuading
(HuM), gun running in India’s northeast China to further develop and use the
from and through Bangladesh, illegal Chittagong port and develop a deep sea
migration into Assam and West Bengal, port at Sonadia Island. This becomes
the flow of funds from Wahabi charity problematic for India who fears China’s
organizations in Saudi Arabia to access to the Myanmar naval base in
fundamentalist elements in Bangladesh‐ Hanggyi Islands and the monitoring
India region, money laundering through station, established at Coco Island in the
India‐Nepal and India‐Bangladesh region, north of India’s Andaman and Nicobar
etc. Islands. India fears China encircling India
as part of its String of Pearls strategy. The
India is often seen as a big power with relationship between China and
hegemonistic tendencies amongst its Bangladesh since 1975 influences
neighbors in the subcontinent. Bangladesh to move away from India.
Bangladesh, in relation to India, has to Bangladesh maintains a very close
take note of the large anti‐Indian relationship with China for its economic
sentiments presiding in its soil. After all, and military needs.11
no successful democracy can avoid the
feelings and sentiments of its people. In Over the years, the two sides have signed
fact, the sustenance of a democracy a plethora of bilateral agreements
depends on the will of the people, and the including economic engagements, soft
performance of a democracy is measured loans, social contacts, cultural exchanges,
by the scale of fulfillment of the wishes of academic interactions, infrastructural
its people. development and military sales at
reduced prices, with China emerging as
VI
EXTERNAL INFLUENCES 11
Jasim Uddin Khan, “ China top import source
for Bangladesh: Beats India for the first time”,
A perplexing issue the Prime minister of
Vol 5, No.614, The Daily
Bangladesh faced before her visit to India Star, 19 February 2006.
in January 2010 was whether to visit
IPCS Special Report 97, September 2010

the major supplier of arms to development of long term institutional

Bangladesh’s armed forces. China and relationships with smaller neighbors of
Bangladesh along with Myanmar, have South Asia. This was clearly reflected in
decided to build the 900 kilometer India’s aversion towards multilateral
Kunming Highway linking Chittagong cooperation frameworks like SAARC and
with Kunming through Myanmar to the lack of reciprocation in trade and
facilitate greater trade. Dhaka‐Beijing economic cooperation with countries, as
relations have reached new heights as seen with Bangladesh.
China overtook India as Bangladesh’s
largest trading partner. In addition to The United States’ hegemony over the
economic engagement, Bangladesh and years achieved a boost with its
China in 2005 signed the Bangladesh‐ involvement with smaller and weaker
China Cooperation Agreement on the neighboring allies in several economic
Peaceful Usage of Nuclear Energy which and security cooperation ventures like
aims to assist Bangladesh in developing the NATO and NAFTA. But India’s
peaceful nuclear energy for power influence in a regional context results in
generation and other developmental discontentment on the part of weaker
purposes and a Defense Cooperation states. Thus, India should rely on an
Agreement with China in 2002. institutional doctrine with greater
involvement with smaller and weaker
India, considers South Asia as its neighboring states with an aim to aid
backyard, exerting influence over it, and their efforts to develop themselves in
so a growing relationship between China various fields.
and Bangladesh is visualized by India as
potentially problematic. Bangladesh tries The history of the formation of the
to bargain between India and China, thus European Union as a powerful regional
standing only to gain. Apart from that, bloc shows a greater compromise on the
Bangladesh’s government over the years part of bigger states like France and
has been characterized by one favoring Germany to achieve regional cohesion
India, and one against it. Additionally, the and peaceful relations. India, too, should
Chinese quest for regional power and prepare itself to compromise on certain
then global power should be taken into fronts if regional cohesion and peace is to
account. This quest is based on the be achieved.
sustained and dedicated engagement with
India’s neighbors for access and basing. India’s relationship with all South Asian
Therefore, Bangladesh has been an countries should not be dictated by its
obvious choice for partnership. relationship with Pakistan and China,
with whom it has undergone prolonged
VI conflict and competition. If India wishes
CONCLUSIONS to continue its relationship with
Bangladesh, it needs to take a good look
Bangladesh‐India relations over the years at the stand it takes towards other South
reflect the prominence of coercive Asian countries also. A hegemonic stance
elements in India’s hegemonic role in by India would have significant impact on
South Asia. This perception will affect the the Indo‐Bangladesh relations.

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