NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi called for together fighting forces looking to “attack” mutual trust between India and Bangladesh, while also stressing the need to intensify cooperation against terrorism and radicalism, in a meeting on Tuesday with his visiting Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina. Amid concerns over rising extremism in Bangladesh, Modi said such cooperation is important to keep the spirit of 1971 alive.
The summit saw the two sides signing seven agreements, including one for sharing water of the Kushiyara river, as they agreed to ramp up cooperation in trade, energy, connectivity, water resources, security and defence. The two leaders also inaugurated a thermal power plant — Unit 1 of the $2-billion 1320MW Maitree Project in Khulna — and announced four connectivity-related projects.
Bangladesh assured India it remained committed to ensuring security for its minority communities and the two sides also agreed to remain mindful of each other's security concerns and “strategic priorities”. Underlining that India is the largest market in Asia for Bangladesh’s exports, Modi said in his remarks after the meeting that the two countries will soon start discussions for a free trade agreement, or CEPA, to further speed up growth in bilateral trade. India is also Bangladesh’s second largest trading partner.
As expected, Hasina raised the Teesta river issue and said in her remarks to the media that Bangladesh was hopeful that the much-delayed water-sharing agreement will be concluded at an early date.
Modi’s remarks on terrorism and radicalism are important as Bangladesh, despite its economic growth, continues to witness increasing radicalisation. India believes more efforts are required to also confront extremist forces ideologically. The discussions focused, among other things, on border management and also on ways to combat cross-border crimes. Asked about the attacks on Hindu minorities, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said Dhaka had both publicly and privately assured India that it’s committed to security of minorities. Acknowledging the global appreciation for Bangladesh’s role in handling of Rohingya refugees, Kwatra said India will support all efforts for their “safe, steady and quick” repatriation to Myanmar.
Asked about China’s presence in Bangladesh, Kwatra said the strategic priorities, interests and concerns of both India and Bangladesh “are all factored in our cooperative matrix of engagement”.
“Our relationship stands on its own merits, focuses on its own priorities, and looks at our shared concerns, whether they are related to safety issues or security issues,” he said.
Hasina, who said there was an unbreakable bond between the two countries, also described India as the most important and closest neighbour of Bangladesh and relations between the two countries as a “role model for neighbourhood diplomacy”. “We focused on possible ways to materialise our commitment and accommodate each other’s priorities in a mutually beneficial manner,” said Hasina, adding Modi’s “visionary leadership” continued to add momentum to the relationship.
Modi said in his remarks that rising energy prices are currently posing a challenge to all developing countries and the Maitree Thermal Power Plant will increase the availability of affordable electricity in Bangladesh. He also said the agreement for sharing water of the Kushiyara river will benefit southern Assam in India and Sylhet region in Bangladesh. “In realising the vision of a stable, prosperous and progressive Bangladesh that Bangabandhu had seen, India will continue to walk step by step with Bangladesh,” he said.
