PM Sheikh Hasina's visit to India: a brief overview

Prior to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent four-day visit to India, one of India's leading daily the Indian Express published an editorial (September 5) with the heading "PM Sheikh Hasina in India, India must be a friend in deed". Regrettably, the meeting of the two leaders in New Delhi concluded without any tangible result on unresolved major issues like the Teesta water-sharing agreement, about which India has assured many times.
The two Prime Ministers held talks on a range of bilateral issues, including defence, security partnership, border management, trade and connectivity, water resources, power and energy security, development cooperation, and cultural and valuable people-to-people links. The joint statement issued after the meeting on September 7 noted among other issues free transit offered to Bangladesh by India for exporting its merchandise to Bhutan and Nepal. Currently, trucks and vans from Bangladesh transport commercial goods to the land ports of land-locked Nepal and Bhutan and then carried through India with whom they have transit contracts. To further stimulate trade, Bangladesh approached India for rail connectivity with Bhutan through the Chilahati-Haldibari route. India agreed to consider it, but has not made any firm commitment. Remarkably, friendly Bangladesh has gone the extra mile in providing India with vital connectivity to its North-eastern States and transit and transhipment facilities charging nominal fees. Bangladesh has also allowed Indian cargo vessels to use the Chittagong and Mongla ports.
Water security is a critical challenge for Bangladesh. The equitable sharing of Teesta-- a 414km long river that originates in Sikkim and flows through the Indian State of West Bengal and Bangladesh, remains unresolved.
In the highest level meeting, Sheikh Hasina once again raised the long pending issue of Teesta water-sharing, but without any positive response. Notably, the Teesta water-sharing agreement could not be inked due to opposition of the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, who stopped former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for concluding the deal in 2011. However, describing the bilateral relationships as a 'role model' for neighbourhood diplomacy, PM Hasina once again expected that all the outstanding issues, including the Teesta water-sharing agreement, would be resolved very soon "in the spirit of friendship and cooperation".
Nonetheless, seven memorandums of understanding (MoUs) including the sharing of water from the trans-boundary Kushiyara river were signed between the two countries. However, India has asked for early approval of the Feni River interim water sharing agreement to meet the irrigation requirements of the State of Tripura.
During the past decade, there has been remarkable growth in the trade relationship between Bangladesh and India. Bangladesh has emerged as India's sixth largest trade partner with bilateral trade increasing from $2.4 billion in 2009 to $10.8 billion in 2020-21. Notwithstanding the massive surge in Indian exports to Bangladesh, the intended target of exports from Bangladesh has not yet been realised.
To consolidate growth and inter-dependency, the two countries have decided to start official negotiation on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). In fact, both countries are expected to gain from this accord, if inked on a win-win basis.
Bangladesh PM addressed a business event, jointly organised by Indian and Bangladesh business communities on September 7, 2022 and invited the Indian investors to invest in infrastructure, manufacturing, energy and transport sectors. Currently, Indian investment in Bangladesh amounts to 3.11 billion only compared to $10 billion from China.
Regarding the issue of energy cooperation, Bangladesh has requested grid connectivity for electricity supply from Nepal and Bhutan through India to address its rising energy demands. However, it has not received any firm commitment. Notably, Bangladesh has been importing electricity from India since September 2013.
Despite New Delhi's repeated assurance, Dhaka's concern about unlawful killings of civilians along the Bangladesh-India border does nor seem to have been heeded to. Notably, both countries share a 2,545 mile long border. The year 2020 witnessed as many as 45 killings by the Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) inciting anti-Indian sentiments in the country. Political analysts believe it is important for New Delhi to totally halt border killings to warm up relations with Dhaka. The joint statement merely expressed 'satisfaction' that the number of deaths along the border has considerably been reduced.
Concerning the Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh for the past decade, New Delhi has again expressed assurance to ensure their safe and speedy return to their homeland, Myanmar. But India has no tangible strategy and action to address the vital issue. An Indian scholar, Shreya Upadhyay, in her article, The Future of India's Do-nothing Policy toward the Rohingya, observed: "India till now has managed to keep at arm's length from the issue. Its policy is treading lightly with Myanmar, out of geo-political and geo-economic concerns."
The Secretary General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has remarked that "there is no visible outcome" of PM Hasina's visit to India apart from an agreement of 53 cusecs of water sharing from the Kushiara river. However, leading Indian newspapers have positively presented the outcome of this visit highlighting it as "fruitful with several outcomes on the table". The editorial in The Hindu wanted India to be more responsive to Dhaka's key concerns.
Reciprocity, mutual understanding and concerted efforts are essential elements in constructing a concrete and dynamic relationship between two sovereign states. Historically, Bangladesh has always been quick to react and respond positively to India's core concerns and national interests. It is now imperative for a big neighbour and emerging global power to be equally responsive to Bangladesh' concerns for a more prosperous shared future.

Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed is a former Professor and Chairman, Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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