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India ‘underperforms’ in improving relations with Bangladesh: The Diplomat

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India has ‘underperformed in strengthening’ the Indo-Bangladesh relations and its ‘poor handling’ drives Bangladesh to deepen ties with China, observed an article published in The Diplomat.

Despite its growing dependence on China, ‘Bangladesh has been careful to balance its relations with India and China,’ added the article titled ‘Why Bangladesh Reaches out to China.’

The author, Sudha Ramachandran, who is an adjunct faculty at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai, also argued that ‘New Delhi is to blame as the Dhaka-Beijing relationship deepens.’

The article mentioned that Bangladesh has reached out to China for funding worth $6.4 billion for nine new infrastructure projects.

“Its outreach has triggered concern in New Delhi, prompting India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to dash across to Dhaka to discuss expediting Indian projects in Bangladesh,” said the article published on Wednesday in The Diplomat, which is a virtual international current-affairs magazine for the Asia-Pacific region.

The article said that Bangladesh has sought funding for the construction of the first phase of Payra seaport, the Barisal-Bhola bridge, a technology park and management and restoration of the Teesta River.

“Of all these, it is the Teesta project that has dominated media reporting in India,” the article mentioned.

The river Teesta originates in the Himalayas and runs through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.

“Sharing its waters has been a contentious issue and India and Bangladesh have been on the verge of reaching an agreement several times over the past decade,” add the article.

The writer argued that domestic politics in India make a settlement elusive as water is a state issue in India, and West Bengal politicians have blocked New Delhi and Dhaka from signing a deal.

“Weary of looking to India to address its water shortage problem, Bangladesh seems to have decided to improve management of the Teesta’s waters within its own boundaries. Importantly, it is turning to China for help. Beijing is said to be keen on supporting Dhaka on the project,” the article added.

Ramachandran, the author of the article, pointed out that China-Bangladesh relations have improved remarkably in recent decades. “The two countries became strategic partners in 2016. China is Bangladesh’s main arms supplier, investor, and trade partner. China has already invested $10 billion in Bangladesh toward a string of power and infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative,” she added in the article.

The author, however, acknowledged that despite its ‘mounting dependence on China, Bangladesh has been careful to balance its relations with India and China.’

“The Awami League government has shown sensitivity to India’s security concerns,” she mentioned.  “It has, for instance, avoided involving China in projects that would have implications for India’s security. It has also played an important role in supporting India’s counter-insurgency efforts in the Northeast by sending back to India militants taking sanctuary on its soil and shutting down insurgent training camps.”

The author argued that it is India that has ‘underperformed in strengthening’ the India-Bangladesh relationship.

“Successive governments in New Delhi have failed to deliver on their promise to settle the Teesta dispute, making it hard for the Awami League government to justify its cooperation with Delhi on issues of importance to India,” the article argued.

“The Narendra Modi government’s majoritarian rhetoric – Home Minister Amit Shah has described Bangladeshi immigrants to India as “termites” – and stance on immigration in general have upset Bangladeshis immensely,” it added.

“The Citizenship Amendment Act as well as the National Register of Citizens have serious implications for Bangladesh, but the Modi government pressed ahead without consulting the Bangladeshi government or heeding its concerns,” the article continued.

The Diplomat article also pointed out that the Teesta water management project is reported to include building a reservoir in Bangladesh.

“This will enable Dhaka to store water for use in the lean season. It will reduce Bangladesh’s dependence on India to a certain extent,” it added.

“It lays bare India’s poor handling of its relations with Bangladesh and, should China’s fund and implement the project swiftly, will show China in a positive light,” concluded Ramachandran.

[The weblink of the article is: https://thediplomat.com/2020/08/why-bangladesh-reaches-out-to-china/?fbclid=IwAR15pZ0K19_Kg5JkXVlSDmla5bJlX2qPu8oC6Ge9HVPmoOC_grWV6SlqKrA]

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