The Bangladesh-India bilateral mechanisms appear to have stalled, with little tangible progress on key areas of cooperation, officials said.
Bangladesh and India have over forty bilateral mechanisms including on water, trade, border management, and consular issues, an official told UNB.
The two countries were in discussion to hold the fifth consular dialogue in Dhaka later this month (November 17-18), but a diplomatic source on Monday told UNB that it is not taking place.
Minister (Press) at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi Saidur Rahman on Thursday said the consular dialogue had been postponed a week before the request concerning former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s passport and national identity card was submitted.
"I can state with certainty that the decision to postpone the dialogue was made at least four days before the request for a passport and national ID on behalf of Sheikh Hasina was submitted on November 9. This has absolutely nothing to do with any announcement regarding Sheikh Hasina’s potential return to the country," he said.
The Bangladesh-India consular dialogue mechanism was instituted in 2017 with a purpose to strengthen people to people contacts by having a regular channel of communication on consular, visa and mutual legal assistance cooperation matters between the two countries.
An inter-ministerial meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on November 3 as part of preparation for the consular dialogue between the two countries.
The dialogue was supposed to discuss cross-border issues, border management, streamlining visa processes, repatriating citizens detained in either country, securing the release and repatriation of fishermen, and fostering mutual legal cooperation.
The 4th round of consular dialogue was held on 29 May 2024 in New Delhi. The two sides held wide-ranging discussions on mechanisms to strengthen coordination and cooperation on consular issues, visa matters, repatriation, MLAT and Extradition cases, etc.
The two sides also agreed to further strengthen the bilateral Revised Travel Arrangement (RTA) to facilitate movement of nationals from both sides.
Both sides reiterated their commitment to continue promoting people-to-people exchanges and agreed to hold the next round of the dialogue in Dhaka on a mutually convenient date.
Meanwhile, longstanding water-sharing disputes and emerging challenges over transboundary water management are becoming increasingly pressing.
India reiterated that it wants to take its relationship with Bangladesh forward in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner and expressed its willingness to discuss all bilateral issues between the two countries.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal recently said India is ready to discuss all bilateral issues with Bangladesh through the existing structured mechanisms.
On the Ganga Water Treaty, the MEA spokesperson on November 3 said they have a Joint Rivers Commission. “That is the structured mechanism for discussion on all cross-boundary rivers, including the Ganga. As far as any further development in that regard is concerned, I have no update to share with you.”
With the Ganges treaty approaching expiry in December, Bangladesh faces the task of securing an equitable and sustainable water-sharing arrangement while strengthening cooperation on other shared rivers.