India's Relationship with its Neighbours|INDIA AND BANGLADESH

 India's Relationship    with its Neighbours    

    INDIA AND BANGLADESH

India was one of the first countries to recognise Bangladesh and establish diplomatic relations immediately after its independence in December 1971. India-Bangladesh relationship is anchored in history, culture, language and shared values of secularism, democracy, and countless other commonalities between the two countries. Both countries share an all-encompassing win-win partnership based on sovereignty, equality, trust and understand that goes far beyond a strategic partnership.

Security and Border Management

⦁ India and Bangladesh share 4096.7 km. of              border, Which is the longest land                              boundary that India shares with any of its              neighbours. The India-Bangladesh Land                  Boundary Agreement (LBA) came into                     force following the exchange of                                 instruments of ratification in june 2015.                On july 31,2015 the enclaves of India and                Bangladesh in each other's countries were              exchanged and strip maps were signed.                  Residents of these erstwhile enclaves, who           opted to retain their Indian citizenship                   made a final movement to India by                           November 30,2015.       

⦁ A number of security related agreements                (Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal                         Matters; Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners,              Combating International Terrorism,                        organized Crime and Illicit drug trafficking,            MoUs on Prevention of Circulation of Fake             Currency Notes and Prevention of Human             Trafficking and Extradition Treaty) have                  been signed between both the countries and         working groups have been constituted to               monitor their implementation.

⦁ The Coordinated Border Management Plan            (CBMP) signed in 2011 aims to synergy the              efforts of both the border guarding forces              for checking cross border illegal activities              and crimes as well as for maintenance of                peace and tranquility along the India-                      Bangladesh border.

⦁ The longstanding maritime boundary                      dispute between India and Bangladesh was            settled as per arbitration award of 7 July                2014 which paved the way for cooperation            in the maritime sector.

Bilateral institutional mechanisms 

⦁    There are more than 60 bilateral institutional mechanisms between India and Bangladesh in the areas of security, trade and commerce, power and energy, transport and connectivity, science and technology, defence, rivers and maritime affairs etc.

⦁    A Joint Consultative commission (JCC) led by the Ministers of Foreign/External Affairs coordinates and oversees implementation of initiatives taken between the two countries as well as explores newer avenues for cooperation. The 5th JCC was held in New Delhi on 08 February 2019.

Cultural Exchanges 

⦁    The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) in Dhaka regularly organises cultural programmes and also conducts classes in various Indian cultural elements including Hindi, yoga, Hindustani music and Manipuri and Kathak dances etc. These courses are very popular with the Bangladeshi students. IGCC Hindi teacher also teaches Hindi at Institute of Modern Languages in the University of Dhaka since 2011. An MoU was signed to establish Hindi language chair in Dhaka University.

⦁      A 100 member youth delegation from Bangladesh has been visiting India annually since 2012 to promote understanding among the youth about each other's countries.

Defence Cooperation

⦁   India and Bangladesh share the historical legacy of of cooperation and support during the Liberation War of 1971. The active engagement on the defence side includes high level exchanges at the level of service Chiefs, conduct of the inaugural Annual Defence Dialogue and service specific staff talks.

⦁   Various Joint exercises of Army (Exercise Sampriti) and Navy (Exercise Milan) take place between two countries. Both navies and coast guard exchange goodwill ships visits to each other. Scholarships are given to heirs of Muktijoddhas (Bangladesh War veterans for Higher Secodary and Undergraduate students every year by the Government of India.

⦁   100 Muktijoddhas patients per annum are treated in various Indian armed forces hospitals from 2018.

⦁   Exchange visits of Bangladesh Muktijoddhas and Indian war veterans take place every year in December to mark the Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka and Kolkata.

Sharing of River Waters

⦁ India and Bangladesh share 54 common rivers. A bilateral Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) is working since June 1972 to maintain liaison between the two countries to maximize benefits from common river systems. Besides the JRC meetings, technical level meetings are also held regularly.

⦁ The Ganga Water Treaty signed in 1996 for sharing of waters of river Ganga during lean season (January 1-May-31) is working satisfactorily.

⦁ Regular meetings of the Joint Committee on sharing of Ganga waters are held to take stock of the implementation of the provisions of the treaty.

Bilateral Trade and Investment

⦁ Bangladesh is India's biggest trade partner in South Asia. Bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh has grown steadily over the last decade. India's exports to Bangladesh for the (Indian)  financial year 2018-19 (April-March) stood ar US $ 9.21 bn and imports from Bangladesh for the same period stood at US $ 1.22 bn.

⦁ India and Bangladesh have trade agreement which is facilitative in nature. India and Bangladesh are members of various regional trade agreements including the Asia pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), SAARC Preferential Trade agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) which govern the tariff regimes for trade. Under SAFTA, India has granted duty free quota free access to Bangladesh on all items except alcohol and tobacco. Various bilateral institutional mechanisms including Commerce Secretary Level Meeting, Shipping Secretary Level Talks, Joint Working Groups on Trade, Customs and Fisheries and Sub-groups on Banking and LCS/ICP Infrastructure etc meet regularly.

⦁ Four Border Haats, two each in Tripura (Srinagar and Kamalasagar) and Meghalaya (Kalaichar and Balat), have been established for the benefit of bordering communities. Ten additional Border Haats on the India-Bangladesh border are under implementation/consideration.

⦁ Cumulative Foreign Direct Investment from India to Bangladesh has more than doubled from USD 243.91 mn in 2014 to USD 570.11 mn in December 2018. Indian companies have invested in various sectors including telecommunications (Airtel), pharmaceuticals (Sun Pharma), FMCG (Marico) and automobiles (Tata, Hero Motors) sectors in Bangladesh. During PM Sheikh Hasina's visit in April 2017, 13 agreements worth around US$10 billion of Indian investment mainly in power and energy sectors in Bangladesh were signed.

Development Partnership:

⦁ Bangladesh is the biggest development partner of India today. India has extended 3 Lines of Credits to Bangladesh in the last 8 years amounting to US$ 8 billion.

⦁ During the visit of Bangladesh PM to India in January 2010,  India had announced a US$ 1 billion Line of Credit (LOC) for Bangladesh covering 15 projects in public transportation, roads, railways, bridges and inland waterways etc. Most of these projects have been completed and the remaining are at various stages of implementation.

⦁ India had extended the second LOC of US$ 2 billion during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Bangladesh in June 2015. This LOC covers 16 projects in areas of roads, railways, power, shipping, SEZs, health and medical care and technical education.

⦁ During the visit of Bangladesh PM to India in April 2017, India extended a third LOC of US$ 4.5 billion to Bangladesh. The new LOC will cover projects in areas of port construction, railways, roads, airports, power and energy, telecommunications, and shipping etc. The Dollar Credit Line Agreement for implementation of the third Line of Credit was signed in the presence of the Ministers of Finance of India and Bangladesh on 4 October 2017.

⦁ In addition to LOC's, the Government of India has also been providing grant assistance to Bangladesh for various infrastructure projects such as the Agartala- Akhaura rail link, dredging of inland waterways, India Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, and high impact community development projects (HICDPs) in the areas of education, health, water, culture, urban development, disaster management and community welfare etc.

Power and Energy Sector Cooperation

⦁ Cooperation in power sector has become one of the hallmarks of India-Bangladesh is currently importing 1160 MW of power from India.

⦁ The 1320 MW coal-fired Maitree thermal power plant, a 50:50 JV between National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of India and Bangladesh power Development Board (BPDB), is being constructed at Rampal.

⦁ During Bangladesh PM's visit in April 2017, agreements for generation /supply/financing of more than 3600 MW electricity were signed between Indian and Bangladeshi public / private companies.

⦁ Energy sector cooperation between India and Bangladesh has also seen considerable progress in the last two years.

⦁ Various Indian public sector units including Indian Oil Corporation, Numaligarh Refinery Limited are working with their Bangladeshi counterparts in the oil and gas sector of Bangladesh. ONGC Videsh Ltd has acquired two shallow water blocks in Consortium with oil India Limited and is currently exploring these blocks.

⦁ The GOI is also extending financial assistance for construction of 130 Km India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline for supply of diesel from siliguri to Parbatipur in Bangladesh.

Connectivity 

⦁ Improvements in connectivity are an important prerequisite for trade, investments and people-to-people ties. This has been an important area of focus for India and Bangladesh. In oder to promote connectivity, various initiatives have been taken in the last few years.

⦁ The overland movement of goods between India and Bangladesh is operationalized through 34 functional Land Customs Stations (LCSs) and two Integrated Check Post (ICPs) along the border at Agartala and petrapole.

⦁ Around 37% of India's trade with Bangladesh operates through the Petrapole (India) - Benapole (Bangladesh). Petrapole (India) - Benapole (Bangladesh) has started 24x7 operations from August 01,2017. work has also commenced on upgrading the Dawki LCS in Meghalaya.

⦁ India and Bangladesh have a protocol on Inland Waterways Trade and Transit (PIWTT), to facilitate trade and transit between the countries, since 1972.  PIWTT permits movement of goods over barges/ vessels through the river systems of Bangladesh on eight specific routes between points in India and Bangladesh, and between points in India through Bangladesh.

⦁ The PIWTT also allows for transshipment of goods to India's North-Eastern States through the Ashuganj River port (and from there to Akhurara-Agartala by road in Bangladesh.

⦁ Coastal shipping Agreement signed in June 2015 has also enabled direct sea movement of containerised/bulk/dry cargo between the two countries.