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Transcending India-Bangladesh relations

Smruti S. Pattanaik
***Mutual trust, respect and empathetic attitude towards each other's sensitivities will ensure a strong foundation that goes beyond regime and state-centricism in foreign policy decision making.***
ANY celebration of Bangladesh struggle for independence invariably invokes memories of the liberation war, the role played by its masses, individuals from different countries who contributed to its independence and the role of India. It also reminds us that the people of India and Bangladesh share common values and principles that the liberation war embodied. India and Bangladesh have traversed a long road of cooperation and friendship with occasional hiccups that are natural in any bilateral ties. The two in the recent past have earnestly attempted to resolve some of the intractable problems and have succeeded, notwithstanding the failure to sign Teesta agreement which is under negotiation.
Teesta alone should not be the yardstick to measure bilateral ties between the two countries. Making this issue the core of relations would lead to politicisation. It is likely to be scrutinised by the two countries in terms of gain and loss given the political salience. This fear of zero-sum game would make the policy makers careful, resulting in red-tapism. A resolution of water-sharing of Teesta may have salutary effect on bilateral ties but landmark agreement on demarcation of boundary, exchange of land in adverse possession and enclaves is going to be crucial as it would impinge on the border management.
Tipaimukh dam project that is proposed to be constructed on river Barak is another issue that would require more debate and discussion.
India has proposed to Bangladesh to become equity partner in the project to share the power to be generated. This dam has provisions for flood control. Debate on Tipaimukh has degenerated into political stance and consequently the beneficial aspect of the project gets undermined in the plethora of arguments and counter arguments.
Though a Promoters Agreement was signed in October between the state of Manipur, National Hydel Power Corporation ltd and Sutlej Jal Vidut Nigam Ltd, known as Tipaimukh Hydroelectric Corporation Ltd, to produce 1,500 MW of electricity, the project is yet to get any funding from World Bank or other multilateral organisations. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his visit to Dhaka last year said: "Concern has been expressed from time to time on the Tipaimukh dam project in India. I wish to make a public statement and make it clear that India will not take steps regarding the Tipaimukh dam that will adversely affect Bangladesh."
To assure those opposing the Tipaimukh in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also said that it would not support construction of the dam if Bangladesh's interest was hampered. India's willingness to share information on the project would help generate informed opinion if the issue is looked at from a
developmental perspective rather than for scoring political points.
Apart from the water issue, problems related to border have emerged as a major stumbling block. In the meeting between the Border Security Force and Border Guard Bangladesh held last week the two countries submitted a list of transgression incidents at the border that includes breaching of fences, smuggling, human trafficking etc. In spite of exchanging almost an identical agenda on incidents in the border, cooperation remains wanting.
The two countries also need to harmonise their standard operating procedure at the border. India imposes a night curfew in the border to prevent smugglers and traffickers from coming near the border, but similar steps are lacking on the Bangladesh side. The two countries have initiated joint and coordinated patrol since last July to address some of the common challenges. Illegal immigration remains a major problem. In the recent home ministers' meet in February this year Indian home minister said: "We have identified the border outposts that are vulnerable and both sides will strengthen border management in these outposts."
In spite of such hurdles the two countries have been able to synergise
their efforts in enhancing bilateral trade and investment, developing infrastructure to facilitate trade, etc. The issue of transshipment, transit fee, and service charges on goods that are to transit through Bangladesh territory has not yet been decided. The government of Bangladesh has formed five sub-committees to look into the issue of infrastructure, and economic and legal issues pertaining to providing transit.
India has requested trans-shipment of food grains to Tripura using the Ashuganj port. Such a request is pending as the government is debating over fixing a transit fee. An extradition treaty between the two countries is at the final stage of negotiation. Signing of this treaty would help the two countries to deal with the issue of criminals seeking cross- border refuge.
Bilateral exchanges of views, meetings, etc alone will not determine the future of Indo-Bangladesh relations. The political temperature between Delhi and Dhaka will be determined by centre-state relations, compulsions of coalition politics and localisation of foreign policy issues in India. In Bangladesh it would be determined by the relations between the two political parties and their approach to India, their willingness to engage their domestic political constituency, and their ability to create multiple stakeholders for their India policy. People should be at the core of this policy. Mutual trust, respect and empathetic attitude towards each other's sensitivities will ensure a strong foundation that goes beyond regime and state-centricism in foreign policy decision making.
The writer Is a Research Fellow, IDSA, New Delhi