 "Modi-Hasina summit: The highway of strategic partnership")
Ganga amar ma, Padma amar ma/ O amar dui chokher, dui joler dhara Meghna Jomuna! (Ganga is my mother, so is the Padma/ Two streams from my eyes Meghna Jamuna)
- Bhupen Hazarika, in 1970 on eternal bond between India and Bangladesh
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited New Delhi on June 21-22, 2024, marking the first visit of any foreign Head of State after the third iteration of the Narendra Modi-led government came back to power, immediately after attending the oath-taking ceremony of the Indian Prime Minister on June 9. David Dunn has characterised international summitry as diplomacy at the highest levels, and the summit diplomacy between PM Modi and PM Hasina has emerged as the highway to a robust strategic partnership.
Bangladesh is India’s largest trading partner in South Asia, while India ranks as Bangladesh’s second-largest trading partner within Asia. Today, Bangladesh stands as India’s most prominent development partner. Over the past eight years, India has provided Bangladesh with three Lines of Credit (LOC) totalling approximately $8 billion. These funds have been allocated for infrastructure development across various sectors, such as roads, railways, shipping, and ports. Moreover, in 2023, India and Bangladesh implemented an agreement to utilize the Chittagong and Mongla Ports, which enables India to use these for transit cargo between its Northeastern regions and the mainland, significantly reducing transportation costs and time. Bilateral cooperation is quite significant in defence and railways, too.
In the recent visit of PM Hasina, the “ India-Bangladesh Shared Vision for Future” was announced, which focused on regional and global cooperation, commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, youth development, supply of essential commodities, more accessible cross-border travel, cultural and people to people ties, development cooperation, defence cooperation, water resource management, trade and investment linkages, power, and energy collaboration, connectivity and interlinked prosperity.
Some important pacts inked in this visit were e-visas for medical patients from Bangladesh, a new train service between Rajshahi and Kolkata, a new bus service between Chittagong and Kolkata, the export of 40 MW power from Nepal to Bangladesh through the Indian grid, assistance on project and conservation of Teesta river- among others. Both countries also decided to start negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Shared Vision for India-Bangladesh Digital Partnership and Green Partnership for a Sustainable Future are two other vital areas that both countries agreed upon.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe question is what binds the top leaders. Shared strategic trust and national interests underwrite their close relationship. The recent summit happened against certain geopolitical developments. PM Hasina came to power for the fifth time in January 2024 amidst allegations of external electoral subversion. After the results were announced, the US State Department termed the elections “ not free and fair”.
Inside Bangladesh, the anti-India sentiments have got a fillip for quite some time. Recent media reports indicate a decline in the demand for Indian products in Bangladesh during the Ramzan celebrations. This trend is attributed to the ‘ India Out’ campaign, which is led by the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Critics of India accuse the country of undermining Bangladesh’s democratic aspirations and meddling in its internal affairs, which has fuelled the growing sentiment against Indian goods in Bangladesh.
The simmering tensions emanating from the rise in Islamic fundamentalism in Bangladesh not only affect the Hindu minority in the country but also pose a humongous security threat to India. The Rohingya issue continues to create unease in India. The Hasina government alone has been acting as the vibranium shield for India against many such disturbances. Bangladesh is the only country in India’s neighbourhood that has continuously had a stable relationship with India in the last decade. Moreover, Sheikh Hasina being the first foreign Head of State to visit India in PM Modi’s third term can be interpreted as an internal signal to India’s Muslim minority to allay their concerns.
Strategic concerns related to China have ruffled many feathers in India and Bangladesh. The maiden joint military exercise between China and Bangladesh was conducted in 2024. Beijing is eyeing to deliver several investments related to connectivity in Southern Bangladesh. China has constructed Bangladesh’s first submarine base, BNS Sheikh Hasina, located off the coast of Cox’s Bazaar in the Chittagong Division. This development could place Chinese submarines close to India’s Andaman and Nicobar Command, potentially creating strategic tensions in the Bay of Bengal region. Additionally, Beijing plays a significant role in developing the Chattogram seaport, which handles over 90 per cent of Bangladesh’s international trade and is the busiest port in the Bay of Bengal.
Just after the India visit, PM Hasina will visit Beijing in July. Understandably, New Delhi is not comfortable with such developments. The Modi-Hasina summit witnessed several elements aimed at offsetting the overhang of Beijing on Bangladesh. In the shared vision statement, it has been announced that India will send a technical team to Bangladesh for the conservation and management of the Teesta River — a project where China was willing to intervene. Moreover, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Maritime Cooperation and Blue Economy, MoU for Cooperation in Oceanography, and MoU between Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington and Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC), Mirpur for cooperation concerning Military education in the field of strategic and operational studies signal a strong motivation from both sides for broader strategic collaboration and alignment in the Indo-Pacific region. During this summit, Bangladesh joined the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative as co-leader in Pillar 05 (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management). This assumes added significance in light of India’s SAGAR too.
With the spirit of PM Modi’s ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ and PM Hasina’s ‘Smart Bangladesh 2041’, the two countries are poised for a robust strategic relationship in the upcoming years. Maintaining the homeostasis on Bangladesh while countering Chinese involvement in South Asia remains crucial for India. Moreover, India should sincerely ponder its options in a post-Hasina polity and the probable blowback if the BNP comes to power. As India and Bangladesh navigate the complexities of the 21st century, the Modi-Hasina summit serves as a testament to the resilience and dynamism of their bilateral relationship, promising a future of sustained growth and mutual benefit.
Manish Dabhade is an Associate Professor of Diplomacy in the School of International Studies, JNU & is Founder of The Indian Futures, an independent think tank. Subhrangshu Pratim Sarmah is a Doctoral Candidate in the School of International Studies, JNU & the Director of The Indian Futures-Guwahati. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.
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