Yesterday, Bangladesh and India signed seven MoUs with the aim to nurture a relationship of mutual benefit, covering sectors such as energy and agriculture.
As we have editorialized, this relationship is one that is rooted in history and must be nurtured to ensure Bangladesh’s sustainable development moving forward.
However, there is no denying that one issue has continued to act as a stain on the relationship, as Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has rightfully said: Killings of Bangladeshis of Indians at the border continue to be an issue that has, for the longest time, been a problem that has required a solution and it is encouraging to see the issue being addressed in the most recent virtual summit between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In this regard, the two leaders have agreed to both sides working on a coordinated border management program, with the Indian PM himself stating that no lethal weapons will be used at the border and that the Indian Border Security Force will be informed accordingly.
The idea, encouragingly, is to bring border killings to zero.
While we take the PM Modi at his word, we cannot help but remember the many lives which have been lost in this manner in the past, with two of our citizens killed last week, including someone who was killed on December 16, our Victory Day.
There is indeed nothing that could be more beneficial to the relationship between India and Bangladesh, and our entire nation will be watching to ensure that these killings at the border do indeed become a thing of the past.
