By Syed Yamin Bakht
India is the closest geographical neighbor of Bangladesh. The two countries share a 4096-km long land border and it is the longest border that India has with any of its neighbors. More importantly, the land border almost surrounds Bangladesh while it nearly detaches the "Seven Sister" states of northeast India from the rest of that country. These are geographical facts which nobody can deny and we all must accept. In addition, both the countries have deep historic cultural and social ties. And none can forget India's unflinching support during our glorious War of Liberation.
Thus, it is essential that the bilateral relations between the two countries should be developed in such a way that the national priorities and needs of each are met and it is beneficial to both the countries. The bilateral ties have been showing signs of improvement in recent years and it is likely to be further consolidated with the visit of the Indian prime minister to Bangladesh.
India is keen on getting the transit facility and ensuring security cooperation to stop any future cross-boarder terrorist activities. What are the priorities for Bangladesh? It is yet to be spelt out publicly other than to publicize the fact that we will be economically benefited by providing the transit facility to India and by extension to Nepal and Bhutan.
However, to develop the bilateral relationship with India, we also need to identify and clearly spell out our own priorities. Only after formulating a credible and acceptable negotiating strategy we can move towards the bargaining table so that mutually beneficial ties can be established.
As far as Bangladesh's bargaining chips vis-à-vis India is concerned, transit is perhaps our biggest trump card and we should use it to resolve the major outstanding bilateral issues with the country. Except for the "chicken neck" corridor on the north of the Paschimbanga state, the seven northeastern states are virtually cut off from the rest of India by the geographic entity of Bangladesh. Thus, development and economic progress in this region has been lagging far behind the rest of India. And this, in turn, has led the people in the region to become disgruntled, even raising the ugly face of militancy. Hence, the importance of the transit facility for India cannot be underestimated.
A framework agreement which will include the much-talked about transit issue is slated to be signed between the two countries during the visit of the Indian prime minister. But what are we getting in return? While progress towards resolving some bilateral issues is perhaps being made, some other major issues seem to remain unattended.
It is good that some progress is being made towards resolving the long outstanding border demarcation and enclave issues. A joint survey has already been conducted. This is long overdue. As per the Mujib-Indira agreement of 1974, we gave up the Berubari enclave but India failed to live up to her end of the bargain. Our fellow citizens living in the Tinbigha enclave are virtually detached from the country till today, although a corridor was given with many restrictions.
However, no progress has yet been made on demarcating the maritime boundary along with the issue of the South Talpatty islands. This is an extremely important issue and must be dealt with and resolved.
A possible agreement on sharing of the Teesta and Feni river waters is another bit of progress. But it must be ensured that there is a 'guarantee clause' included in any such agreement, so that the minimum quantity of water that we are to receive is clearly spelt out. The 'guarantee clause' was not included in the Ganges water treaty signed in 1996. The same mistake must not be repeated again.
And what about sharing the waters of the other common rivers? A total of 54 rivers flow through India and into Bangladesh. What is our negotiating strategy on this issue? The most glaring omission from the negotiating table so far is the issue of Tipaimukh dam that India is building in the Barak valley. According to experts, this dam will reduce the water flow in the Surma and Kushiara rivers and will have an adverse impact on the Sylhet region as a whole.
India must respect the rights of the lower-riparian country as per international laws. It should not take any steps to alter the natural flow of any of the common rivers which can be detrimental to Bangladesh.
The ever growing bilateral trade imbalance in favor of India also must be adequately addressed. Bangladesh is an important trading partner for India as 15 per cent of the country's imports originate from that country. The two-way trade during the 2010-11 fiscal year stood at US$ 5.1 billion with Bangladesh's imports from India amounting to $4.59 billion and exports totaling a mere $512 million.
Thus, India must take concrete steps to reduce the yawning bilateral trade gap. Tariff and non-tariff barriers must be removed to make it easier for Bangladeshi manufacturers to compete in the large and growing Indian domestic market.
Another outstanding major issue which needs to be resolved with India is the indiscriminate border killings of civilians. Despite earlier assurances from the Indian government, this atrocity still continues in violation of all international norms and conventions. This has to stop immediately.
These and all other outstanding bilateral issues between the two countries should be resolved under an agreed framework and within a given timeframe. All issues can be amicably resolved, provided there is an atmosphere of trust and goodwill between the two countries. Building trust is a long-term process. And to do that, India should change its "big-brotherly" attitude towards its smaller neighbors. This, in turn, will help reduce the India "phobia" that exists in Bangladesh.
Any relationship is based on give-and-take and the Bangladesh-India ties should also follow along the same lines without sacrificing the national interests of either country. On the whole, the bilateral relationship must be based on mutual respect, good neighborly attitude and on an even keel. And it must produce a win-win situation for both sides.
**Syed Yamin Bakht can be contacted at yaminbakht58@gmail.com
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