Bangladesh-India Relations would depend on Mutual Security

Noor Majid of DOT
India will maintain close relationship with Bangladesh. It will expand its co-operation with the current government and its administration, despite widespread allegation of Election fraud and malpractices in the national elections. Professor Manoj Kumar Mishra, a reknown Indian foreoign policy expert of Hyderabad University said. In this regard he explained some recent events. Bangladesh’s national elections saw ruling Awami League won huge victory in 288 seats of totall 300 parliamentary seats. Indian PM Narendra Modi becomes the first foreign statesman who congratulated Sheikh Hasina on her electoral victory. The reson behind the warm welcome is obvious. India feels safer when its regional security and economic demands are fulfilled. The current regime in Bangladesh is therefore utmost important for Indian stability, Professor Mishra explains. He added, Due to economic reason and Bangladesh’s important geographic location, India depends on Bangladesh for its security. Moreover India wants total annihilation anti-Indian activity based on Bangladeshi soil. The current regime made sure that New Delhi can rely on Dhaka on this regard. Bangladesh under Hasina’s leadership has been considered pro-India, and it took measures to meet India’s concerns in the northeastern border areas by effectively tackling militancy operating from its soil. The Awami League government led by Hasina has arrested and handed over some of the leaders of militant organizations to India, and militancy in the border areas has witnessed a considerable decline during her leadership. So India is now ready to overlook human rights violation and other emerging issues in Bangladesh.
Indian foreign ministry said, The PM also reiterated the priority India attaches to Bangladesh as a neighbor, a close partner for regional development, security and cooperation, and a central pillar in India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy.”This neighbor first foreign policy isn’t only limited in arenas of security and development co-operation. Its implication also involves limiting Chinese influence on Dhaka. China’s offer of a whopping US$24 billion worth of loans to Bangladesh toward bilateral assistance for infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative during President Xi Jinping’s historic visit in 2016 did not go unnoticed in New Delhi given its suspicions over Beijing’s strategic ambitions in the South Asian and Indo-Pacific regions. Further, Bangladesh according to a 2017 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report became the second-largest importer of Chinese arms after Pakistan in South Asia. Thus India also signed defence treaty with Bangladesh. Though largely controversial this treaty assured India-Bangladesh joint arms maintenance and development proposals. India seeks to work closely with The Bangladesh army and invest in its infrastructure to maintain its hegemony. However, the Awami League regimes own security need is also being filled by New Delhi. Indian investment and financial dominance over Bangladesh is growing at a fast pace. Which ensures Sheikh Hasina would get more leverage over her opponents in domestic politics.