Sheikh Hasina in India
The India-Bangladesh strategic and bilateral relations have been on an encouraging upswing ever since Sheikh Hasina took over as Prime Minister for the second time in 2009. The bonhomie has been visible during her four-day visit and her extensive discussions with PM Narendra Modi reflect a keen receptivity for each other’s concerns, be it regional security or the protection of minorities. As she eyes another term towards the end of 2023, Hasina would be hoping that the signing of agreements and inauguration of projects would give a political leverage to her party, the Awami League. A strong votary against Islamic terror, she has been an ally in weeding out safe havens for anti-India groups. That has put her under constant scrutiny by opponents back home for being weak while dealing with India. Her balancing act in the engagement with China, too, shows sensitivity to New Delhi’s apprehensions.
Irritants such as the Teesta river dispute remain, but a significant beginning in river-water sharing has been made through an agreement on the supply of water from the common border river Kushiyara to parts of lower Assam as well as Sylhet in Bangladesh. It’s the first river-related agreement that the two sides have reached at in over two decades. The striking strides made in the development partnership mean that Bangladesh is now India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia, attributed to a large extent to the expanding connectivity. It also accounts for India’s biggest visa operation globally.
In March last year, PM Modi travelled to Bangladesh to attend events organised to mark the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, PM Hasina’s father and the country’s founding leader. The expectation in both New Delhi and Dhaka would be that her visit, in acceptance of the invitation to commemorate 50 years of Bangladesh’s liberation and commencement of diplomatic ties, charts a new course. Her role in the alliance is of critical importance and it would be in the interest of both countries to go the extra mile to resolve the differences.
