Table Of ContentFIFTY YEARS OF
BANGLADESH-INDIA
RELATIONS
Issues, Challenges and Possibilities
FIFTY YEARS OF
BANGLADESH-INDIA
RELATIONS
Issues, Challenges and Possibilities
Md. Shariful Islam
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Fifty Years of Bangladesh-India Relations: Issues, Challenges and Possibilities
Md. Shariful Islam
ISBN 978-93-90095-29-2
First Published in 2021
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CONTENTS
Preface ix
1. Introduction 1
Historical Background of Bangladesh-India Relations 7
India’s Role in the 1971 War 8
Organisation of the Book 11
2. Narratives on Political and Diplomatic Relations 16
Introduction 16
Evolving Political and Diplomatic Ties 18
Relations between 1972 and August 1975 18
Relations between post-August 1975 and 1990 22
Relations between 1991 and 1995 24
Bangladesh-India Relations (1996-2000) 26
Relations between 2001 and 2008 27
Bangladesh-India Relations (2009-present) 29
Critical Engagement 38
Conclusion 40
3. Emerging Trends in Development Partnership 45
Introduction 45
Understanding Development Partnership 47
Major Dimensions in Development Partnership 48
Trade 48
Institutional/Instrumental Development 49
Changing Volume of Trade 51
Bangladesh’s Imports of Services: Health and Education Sector in Focus 53
Investment 55
Special Investment Zones 56
Energy Cooperation 57
Challenges 59
Policy Imperatives 62
Conclusion 63
vi Fifty Years of Bangladesh-India Relations
4. Understanding Security Cooperation 66
Introduction 66
Conceptualising Security Cooperation 69
Major Areas of Security Cooperation 70
Narratives on Military Cooperation 71
Cooperation on Combating Terrorism 73
Maritime Cooperation 75
Cooperation in the Area of Cyber Security 77
Cooperation within Indian Ocean Regional Institutions 77
Conclusion 78
5. Border Issue: Challenges and Responses 82
Introduction 82
Theorising Borders 84
Historicising Bangladesh-India Border 85
Challenges 87
Border Killings 87
Smuggling 89
Women and Children Trafficking 93
Border Tensions 93
What can be Done? 94
Promoting Border Cooperation 94
Ensuring Strong Commitment 94
Promoting Awareness 95
Conclusion 95
6. Understanding Water Sharing Disputes 99
Introduction 100
A Brief Historical Account 101
Teesta Water Sharing 103
Why has Bangladesh-India Water Sharing Dispute not been Resolved yet? 104
Lack of India’s Interest 104
Lack of Information/Knowledge of Water 106
Domestic Politics 106
Creating Narratives of Water as ‘Scarce’ Resource and Rivers as National 107
Policy Imperatives 108
Still, Hope Exists 108
Addressing Domestic Politics 108
Hydro-diplomacy Pedagogy and Water Cooperation 109
Promoting Joint Research 110
Constructive Role of Academics and Media 110
Is Statist Approach Enough? 110
Conclusion 111
7. Narratives on Connectivity 114
Introduction 114
Conceptualising Connectivity 116
Contents vii
Dimensions of Connectivity 117
Physical Connectivity: Connectivity by Road 117
Connectivity through Waterways 120
Connectivity at Sub-Regional Level 122
BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement 122
Implications 123
Challenges 125
Domestic Politics 125
Poor Infrastructure 126
Lack of Political Will 126
Conclusion 127
8. Unfolding the Role of Civil Society 130
Introduction 130
Understanding Civil Society 131
Civil Society and Bangladesh-India Relations 132
Role of the Media 133
Role of the Indian Media 134
Role of Bangladeshi Media 139
Role of Scholars and Scholarship 142
Role of Business Lobby Groups and Others 145
Role of Think Tanks 146
Conclusion 149
9. China Factor in Bangladesh-India Ties 153
Introduction 153
Contemporary Developments in Bangladesh-China Relations 155
Chinese Investments in Bangladesh 157
Defence Cooperation 157
India’s Concerns and Responses 158
Bangladesh’s Response 161
Conclusion 162
10. COVID-19, Post-COVID-19 World and Bangladesh-India
Cooperation 166
Introduction 166
Implications of COVID-19 on Foreign Policy 167
Impact on State Behaviour 167
COVID-19 and Bangladesh-India Ties 170
Post-COVID-19 World and Bangladesh-India Cooperation 172
Conclusion 175
11. Looking Ahead: Strengthening the Partnership 178
Index 185
PREFACE
This intellectually stimulating book examines the key issues, challenges
and possibilities in Bangladesh-India relations in the last fifty years. The
Bangladesh-India partnership has become a textbook case of (ideal) ties
in South Asia and beyond. From mistrust and a lower level of engagement,
the Bangladesh-India relationship has grown into a development
partnership. The outcome of Bangladesh-India ties profoundly impacts
millions of people in these two countries and in the region of South Asia
and beyond. Consequently, nurturing the warmth in Bangladesh-India
partnership becomes essential. One can cite the example of how
Bangladesh-India cooperation brings benefits to the people of Northeast
India or Bangladeshi medical aspirants.
Bangladesh-India cooperation in connectivity, trade and investment
has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people across the borders.
For instance, billions of dollars of bilateral trade create benefits through
creating direct and indirect employment opportunities, ensuring the
balance in the supply chain. Increased economic cooperation between
Bangladesh and India is likely to improve the economic growth of these
two countries. Consequently, increased economic growth will be
imperative to increase the national budget in the social sectors, e.g.,
education, health and social safety net programmes that directly affect
millions of the poor in these two countries. Also, harnessing the untapped
potentials in bilateral investment becomes essential to ensuring the welfare
and well-being of the people. Thus, from both the state and people
perspectives, improved Bangladesh-India relations matter a lot.
While teaching Bangladesh-India relations to my undergraduate
x Fifty Years of Bangladesh-India Relations
students in the International Relations Department at the University of
Rajshahi, I found no scholarly book available covering contemporary
Bangladesh-India relations. Therefore, I decided to write a book on the
subject. Besides, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2015 Bangladesh
visit elevated Bangladesh-India relations in a new height which also
inspired me to author the book. I started writing this book in 2015.
Consequently, the current shape of the book is a result of five years of
research. One of the key aims of writing it is to place the issues, challenges
and possibilities in Bangladesh-India relations before readers so that
everyone concerned becomes well-informed about the necessity of having
an improved Bangladesh-India partnership and thus play their respective
roles for deepening bilateral ties. This book provides a knowledge base
on Bangladesh-India relations.
This book will be useful to graduate students of International Relations
and Political Science, to academics, researchers, and policymakers
working on Bangladesh-India relations, Bangladesh foreign policy, and
India’s foreign policy in particular, and South Asia in general. It will be
distinctive in itself as there is no book available focusing on contemporary
Bangladesh-India relations. It covers significant issues in contemporary
Bangladesh-India ties, including security, border management, water
cooperation, and connectivity.
I am deeply thankful to Pentagon Press, New Delhi, India for keeping
faith with the book project’s idea. Pentagon and its production
management have extended excellent support in the process of editorial
work. Special thanks go to Mr. Rajan Arya from Pentagon Press for his
generous cooperation throughout the publishing of this book.
I dedicate this book to the millions of poverty-stricken people in
Bangladesh and India who can be immensely benefitted from better and
improved Bangladesh-India relations based on mutual interest, respect
and reciprocity. I sincerely acknowledge with gratitude the contribution
of my family members (particularly my daughter Eelma Sharif Samata,
son Shabib Ibn Sharif, and their mother Jannat Ara Tithy, for their sacrifices
and loving support in this endeavour), friends (especially Sariful Islam
from South Asian University), and colleagues and students at the
Department of International Relations at Rajshahi University to finish
the manuscript. I am also grateful to Professor Dr. Delwar Hossain,
