New Delhi [India], September 2 (ANI): Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s three-day India go to subsequent week is being seen in each international locations as a chance to additional improve the time-tested cooperation between the 2 quickest rising economies of South Asia.
It is anticipated that the Bangladesh Prime Minister would additionally focus on defence cooperation and regional stability with the Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
During the go to, the prime ministers of the 2 international locations may collectively open a 1,320 MW energy plant being arrange by the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited as a three way partnership in Bangladesh.
The go to assumes significance within the backdrop of turbulent months in current occasions which have disrupted the inexperienced shoots of post-Covid-19 financial restoration within the South Asian Region marked by episodes of saturating political and financial disaster, moreover episodes of navy adventurism and terrorism.
The bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh have grown over time as a regular mannequin of cooperation whereby amicable options of impending issues are discovered via negotiations and constructive dialogues. Since the 2 international locations have originated from an uninterrupted geographical, historic and cultural continuum, they’ve many shared assets and considerations.
Rivers are one of the crucial notable shared assets between the 2 international locations. The situation of water administration and water sharing is essential within the bilateral cooperation agenda of Delhi and Dhaka as India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers. The two international locations have recognized seven of those rivers for growing the framework of water-sharing agreements on precedence.
The widespread main rivers between the 2 international locations embrace the Ganges, Teesta, Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla, Dudhkumar and Kushiyara. In the current Joint River Commission (JRC), each international locations finalised the textual content of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on interim water sharing of the Kushiyara river.
The thirty eighth JRC was held on twenty sixth August and led by India’s Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and his Bangladesh counterpart, Zaheed Farooque. The Kushiyara river is a distributary of Barak river which branches out as Kushiyara and Surma close to the India-Bangladesh border.
Although JRC met after the lengthy hole of 12 years, it dwelt upon a number of necessary bilateral problems with mutual curiosity together with water sharing of widespread rivers, sharing of flood knowledge, addressing river air pollution, conducting joint research on sedimentation administration, river financial institution safety works and so on. The two sides additionally mentioned widespread basin administration and Indian river linking tasks.
Although India helped Bangladesh in Covid-19 administration, the financial system of the nation suffered an important jolt due to lockdowns and disruptions in motion, logistics and provide chains. The foreign exchange reserves of the nation had been depleted as its exports had been adversely affected. Dhaka was compelled to barter an help bundle from the IMF. The Bangladesh PM could search help from India to battle its financial disaster and speed up financial restoration.
During the upcoming go to of the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Bangladesh is more likely to provoke talks for having an India-Bangladesh Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). It can be probably that the 2 premiers would focus on defence cooperation.
The bilateral defence cooperation got here into focus final month when the Indian Army Chief visited Bangladesh amid hypothesis that Indian weapons may additional equip the navy forces of Bangladesh. The defence cooperation between the 2 international locations is crucial due to vulnerabilities as a consequence of geo-political instability in Myanmar and uncalled-for provocations from exterior forces within the northeast. This can be necessary to fight terrorism within the area.
As India takes connectivity as the key determinant of growth in South Asian international locations, it’s more likely to put forth a proposal to extend railway connectivity and restore three extra practice companies between India and Bangladesh. It may search to revive previous tracks used till the 1965 India-Pakistan struggle.
It would additionally probably carry the transit situation to reap the benefit of complementarities with the just lately constructed Padma Bridge, connecting southwestern Bangladesh together with the Mongla Seaport with the remainder of the nation in addition to India.
Given the good observe document of negotiation and dialogue, the leaders of the 2 international locations would possibly go a step ahead in coming occasions in resolving Teesta waters situation and different transboundary streams alongside motorised car actions to and from Nepal and Bhutan via the Indian territory and BBIN initiatives.
The two international locations have been cooperating for the reason that independence of Bangladesh with an impeccable document of friendship and belief. They have a powerful resolve to additional the general ties and take it to a brand new peak. The go to of Bangladesh PM to India is more likely to be a step ahead. (ANI)