Since the birth of Bangladesh, the ties between India and Bangladesh, the two closest neighbours in South Asia, has become a benchmark for bilateral relations. India was the first to recognize independent Bangladesh, and also provided all-out support to our country during our Liberation War. Since then, the relationship between the two nations has widened into an ever-expanding area of cooperation and has traversed a long way with many ups and downs, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stating that the relationship between Bangladesh and India goes far beyond strategic partnership and has further strengthened during the last decade.
Bangladesh's achievements in the economic and social spheres over the past few decades have grabbed the attention of the international powers. Our country's booming economy and geostrategic strengths have made the country a hotspot for South Asian trade and connectivity. Bangladesh with its strategic proximity to the Bay of Bengal and as the nearest neighbour of India has shown trustworthiness in the course of time.
India shares the border with Bangladesh from three sides and with Myanmar from one. Due to its natural position, it plays a vital role in the integration of Asia's two important parts. Therefore, it is not possible to connect South and Southeast Asia overpassing Bangladesh. This position of Bangladesh has made it a significant geopolitical and geostrategic player in the advancement of regional integration and in shaping the future of Asia as a whole. To realize these strategic advantages from Bangladesh, India always has a keen eye for Bangladesh's strategies and policies.
India and Bangladesh share 4096.7km. border, which is the longest land boundary that India shares with any of its neighbours. As both share the longest border areas, both have interdependency for internal and external security. India's Northeastern “seven sisters” are especially geopolitically volatile as many separatist groups are active in demand for independent states.
Bangladesh, as a reliable ally, was always concerned about India's internal security and prevented the bordering areas from making a shelter for any kind of separatist groups. Bangladesh and India signed the land boundary agreement in June 2015, which stopped terrorist activities in the country's northeast region. Along with the agreement and terrorist handover, Bangladesh's initiatives have played a key role in pacifying terrorism in the northeast.
Despite growing cooperation in every sector, the China factor has emerged as the most important concern in the India-Bangladesh relations. China's intensifying involvement in Bangladesh has increased pressure on India. China has replaced India as Bangladesh's largest trading partner in the last decade. China, as a major security and defense partner, has been involved in Bangladesh's port infrastructure development and supplying military and naval equipment.
As China and India, the two great powers of Asia, have always had something of a formal rivalry, Bangladesh falls at the dead centre of this dynamic. Since Bangladesh has become a supporter of China's Belt and Road Initiative, India's tensions have expectedly intensified.
Hence, China's increasing presence in the Bay of Bengal as well as Bangladesh hasn't been well accepted by India. However, Bangladesh always maintains favourable and balanced bilateral relations between India and China. In reality, China's overall influence on Bangladesh's security and politics remains rather limited. Moreover, Bangladesh has agreed to host India's Coastal Surveillance Radar Systems in its territory. It will help India establish surveillance in the coastal areas to prevent the growing influence of China and the presence of Chinese warships in the Bay of Bengal region.
Though the geostrategic proximity could have given Bangladesh tremendous advantages, Bangladesh ensures India's connectivity with the semi-isolated parts by giving India direct access through its own territory. Bangladesh's attitude towards India was a key factor in the development of the landlocked northeastern region of India and integration with the rest of the country.
Consequently, trade will expand further in this region as river and sea ports, especially the Chittagong and Mongla ports, have been opened for India and they can transport products through Bangladesh's territory. Seamless transport connectivity between India and Bangladesh has the potential to increase national income by as much as 8% in India, says a new World Bank report. Due to its connection to Bangladesh's internet backbone, Agartala has become India's third internet gateway and now presents a significant opportunity for the development of the IT sector in the Northeast.
The economic growth of Bangladesh in the last two decades has been remarkable, which has made our nation far more significant to India's trade and commerce than at any other point in history. Indian exports to Bangladesh went up by 64.5% in the fiscal year 2021-22 (April to March) over the previous fiscal year, which turned Bangladesh into the fourth largest export destination for India.
This in turn made India the second largest import source for Bangladesh and the volume is increasing gradually. Along with daily necessities, the import and demand for manufacturing raw materials, construction materials and luxury goods have increased in the Bangladesh market, which creates a vast opportunity for expanding India's trade in the Bangladeshi Market.
Moreover, India's import volume from Bangladesh continues to expand rapidly. In the last fiscal year, Bangladesh's exports to India reached $2 billion, which was 55.62% higher than the previous fiscal year. Bangladesh's export is expected to cross at least $3bn in the current fiscal year. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has become India's third-largest source of remittances. Indians also occupy major managerial positions in major Bangladeshi industries.
In the long journey of diplomatic relations and bilateral cooperation, Bangladesh has always stood by its closest neighbour India. In contrast, India's attitude has not always been found to be cooperative, indeed it has been fairly hegemonic if anything. Issues such as water disputes, border killings, the Citizenship Amendment Act, and more still remain unresolved.
As a vital geopolitical ally and a time-tested, trustworthy friend of India, Bangladesh has always sought India's goodwill to resolve all tensions in the warm relationship. India's role as a friend rather than a “big brother” has always been appreciated by the people of Bangladesh. As a part of neighbourhood policy, India should pay more attention to strengthen cooperation with its closest ally.
Abdullah Sadi is a researcher on South Asia's political economy and international politics.
