Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s three-day visit to Dhaka is a golden opportunity for newly-elected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send a message of peace and good will to Bangladesh, and allay some of the early concerns that were raised during his campaign.
The timeliness of the Indian foreign minister’s visit is a sign of good intent for our country on behalf of the Indian government. However, we hope for more concrete results. We would like more evidence that maintaining a good relationship with Bangladesh is in fact a priority for our neighbour.
Much ground is in need of covering when it comes to improving relations between our countries – the Teesta water-sharing deal, ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement, putting an end to border killings, the trouble with issuing on-arrival visas to Bangladeshi nationals, and bilateral trade. Indicators of tangible solutions for these issues would show India’s good intentions towards us.
It is good to know that the Indian foreign minister is meeting up with officials from parties opposing the incumbent government as well. This shows a willingness to consider all sides of these issues.
A lot is at stake between our two countries. We really hope that Swaraj and Modi will not waste this opportunity. Morning shows the day, and we hope this visit early in Modi’s tenure makes a good first impression for both sides.