Black_cats
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- Dec 31, 2010
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Why we need Bangladesh
Monday, 07 October 2019 | Pioneer
https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/columnists/why-we-need-bangladesh.html
With China breathing down on an energy-strapped Dhaka, the rant on infiltrators here is not taking ties to a new level
On the face of it, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured India of respecting the organic nature of historic ties and soothed anxieties over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Assam. But by foregrounding economic cooperation, one that spans connectivity, investment, power and infrastructure projects in her home country, she has also redefined the rules of bilateral engagement. The new reality has put us in a competitive slot vis-à-vis China, which has become one of the top trading partners of Bangladesh over the last couple of years. And in a multi-lateral world, where each nation is negotiating deals most beneficial to it and will not just pay obeisance to history, we can no longer afford to touch a raw nerve. Nepal and Sri Lanka have shown how smaller nations gain in the competitive powerplay and easily rotate their axis. And China is doing that successfully, wooing the smallest of nations with infrastructure aid, creating debt economies and buying support. To that extent, the difference of opinions on NRC did raise concern in Bangladesh. Particularly the idea that all “infiltrators” were “Bangladeshis”, repeatedly in speeches by politicians, has not gone down with it. Besides, the divergence between Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark that all infiltrators would be sent back to Bangladesh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s assurance that the NRC blacklisted won’t has left our neighbouring nation confused. While many understand the difference between the political necessity of posturing and the diplomatic value, the overtly aggressive Hindutva messaging hasn’t quite sat easy with Bangladesh. In fact, the usage of words like “termites” to describe Bangladeshi infiltrators is being seen as insulting in a nation which India helped liberate in 1971. There is no agreement on sharing waters of the Teesta. India’s silence on the forced exodus of Rohingyas from Myanmar, which Bangladesh has been drumming up support against, has rankled, too.
A certain stagnation on these fronts has put the relationship under stress and strain, it being assumed as India taking a neighbour for granted. But it must be said that Bangladesh is a key pillar in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s neighbourhood diplomacy, what with it being a littoral nation and crucial to our role in the Indian Ocean. China has been eyeing the Chittagong port for quite a while for its maritime Silk Road. Bangladesh has also stood apart from most Islamic nations by supporting India’s call for a “zero-tolerance” approach to terrorism when Modi and Hasina met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. It supported India’s decision on the abrogation of Article 370 as an internal matter. It is key to the Modi government’s push on the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) fora. And with Nepal and Sri Lanka having drifted towards China, we need Dhaka. In fact, Nepal has stepped up anti-India rhetoric quite a bit recently, even calling for reducing dependency on us. China has been quick to tap into the acute shortage of power in Bangladesh and has already taken up two mega power projects, hoping to enhance its presence in the energy market there. And while India is also a player in the power sector, it is difficult for Bangladesh to overlook China given its energy demands. In this respect, Sheikh Hasina has done a tight-rope act of equidistance so far, timing her visit to India at the right juncture and categorising China as an economic and India as a geo-political partner. But translating that reality on the ground could prove to be a tricky business. China doesn’t invest unless it serves the interest of its Belt and Road Initiative, and Bangladesh may not be in a position to avoid a debt trap and not appear beholden to an economic imperialist in the region. It could very well find itself in a sticky situation if under debts, it is expected to take a stand in China’s diplomatic standoffs with India. Which is why Sheikh Hasina is also hoping for widening India’s ambit of economic cooperation beyond core sectors, calling for investment in the knowledge and tech economy. If the Modi Government wants to make a success of its Act East policy, then Bangladesh will be a cornerstone of that project. But it needs that reassurance not silently, but more volubly now.
Monday, 07 October 2019 | Pioneer
https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/columnists/why-we-need-bangladesh.html
With China breathing down on an energy-strapped Dhaka, the rant on infiltrators here is not taking ties to a new level
On the face of it, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured India of respecting the organic nature of historic ties and soothed anxieties over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Assam. But by foregrounding economic cooperation, one that spans connectivity, investment, power and infrastructure projects in her home country, she has also redefined the rules of bilateral engagement. The new reality has put us in a competitive slot vis-à-vis China, which has become one of the top trading partners of Bangladesh over the last couple of years. And in a multi-lateral world, where each nation is negotiating deals most beneficial to it and will not just pay obeisance to history, we can no longer afford to touch a raw nerve. Nepal and Sri Lanka have shown how smaller nations gain in the competitive powerplay and easily rotate their axis. And China is doing that successfully, wooing the smallest of nations with infrastructure aid, creating debt economies and buying support. To that extent, the difference of opinions on NRC did raise concern in Bangladesh. Particularly the idea that all “infiltrators” were “Bangladeshis”, repeatedly in speeches by politicians, has not gone down with it. Besides, the divergence between Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark that all infiltrators would be sent back to Bangladesh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s assurance that the NRC blacklisted won’t has left our neighbouring nation confused. While many understand the difference between the political necessity of posturing and the diplomatic value, the overtly aggressive Hindutva messaging hasn’t quite sat easy with Bangladesh. In fact, the usage of words like “termites” to describe Bangladeshi infiltrators is being seen as insulting in a nation which India helped liberate in 1971. There is no agreement on sharing waters of the Teesta. India’s silence on the forced exodus of Rohingyas from Myanmar, which Bangladesh has been drumming up support against, has rankled, too.
A certain stagnation on these fronts has put the relationship under stress and strain, it being assumed as India taking a neighbour for granted. But it must be said that Bangladesh is a key pillar in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s neighbourhood diplomacy, what with it being a littoral nation and crucial to our role in the Indian Ocean. China has been eyeing the Chittagong port for quite a while for its maritime Silk Road. Bangladesh has also stood apart from most Islamic nations by supporting India’s call for a “zero-tolerance” approach to terrorism when Modi and Hasina met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. It supported India’s decision on the abrogation of Article 370 as an internal matter. It is key to the Modi government’s push on the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) fora. And with Nepal and Sri Lanka having drifted towards China, we need Dhaka. In fact, Nepal has stepped up anti-India rhetoric quite a bit recently, even calling for reducing dependency on us. China has been quick to tap into the acute shortage of power in Bangladesh and has already taken up two mega power projects, hoping to enhance its presence in the energy market there. And while India is also a player in the power sector, it is difficult for Bangladesh to overlook China given its energy demands. In this respect, Sheikh Hasina has done a tight-rope act of equidistance so far, timing her visit to India at the right juncture and categorising China as an economic and India as a geo-political partner. But translating that reality on the ground could prove to be a tricky business. China doesn’t invest unless it serves the interest of its Belt and Road Initiative, and Bangladesh may not be in a position to avoid a debt trap and not appear beholden to an economic imperialist in the region. It could very well find itself in a sticky situation if under debts, it is expected to take a stand in China’s diplomatic standoffs with India. Which is why Sheikh Hasina is also hoping for widening India’s ambit of economic cooperation beyond core sectors, calling for investment in the knowledge and tech economy. If the Modi Government wants to make a success of its Act East policy, then Bangladesh will be a cornerstone of that project. But it needs that reassurance not silently, but more volubly now.
