IPCS Special Report - Relations Issues, Problems and Recent Developments 97 Piyali Dutta

SEPTEMBER 2010

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

B-7/3, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi, 110029

www.ipcs.org

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Piyali Dutta was a Research Intern at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. .

The author is responsible for the facts, views or opinion expressed in this essay.

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Bangladesh, shares 4094 kilometers of has now become the largest single source land border with India on three sides, the of its imports. fourth side being open to the Bay of . Political discontentment in Bangladesh tends to stem from the huge trade gap, Various issues need to be resolved if the supported by the fact that India has a lot relationship between the two are to be of non trade barriers for Bangladeshi improved, from sharing the water of 54 exports. Even though exports from international rivers that flow from India Bangladesh are growing at a healthy pace, to Bangladesh to controlling terrorism there is no sign of reducing this trade gap. and promoting economic development. The non trade barriers, as pointed out by I Bangladesh Commerce Ministry, and cited TRADE by the Daily Star include: 2  Laboratory tests in Bangladesh, The trade relationship has had a especially for food products, detrimental effect on bilateral cosmetics, and leather and textiles relationship. The geographical proximity products. of India to Bangladesh has made it one of  Packaging requirements its biggest trading partners.  Inadequate infrastructure facilities such as warehousing, transshipment There are pressing concerns in yard, parking yard and Bangladesh regarding the large bilateral  Connecting roads at land customs trade deficit with India and the large stations also hinder exports from volumes of informal imports from India Bangladesh; the land border trade is across the land border which avoid subject to very serious administrative Bangladeshi import duties. Bangladesh’s constraints in Bangladesh. The most bilateral trade deficit with India has been important of the Customs posts with increasing rapidly on average at about comprehensive Customs clearance 9.5% annually. However, the deficit powers is at Benapole, which borders narrowed for the first time in fiscal year Petrapole on the Indian side and 2005/06 when Bangladesh’s exports rose which is on main roads linking to $242 million while India’s exports fell Kolkata with Jessore and Dhaka. to $1.8 billion from $2 billion in officially recorded exports.1 For Bangladesh, India As per the report by Bangladesh Commerce Ministry, trade barriers 1 Executive Summary Report, 2005, “Studies on include:3 India-Bangladesh Trade, Trade Policies and Potential FTA”, http://www.worldbank.org.bd/WBSITE/EXTER 2 Sajjadur Rahman, “Analysts urge India to NAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/BANGL erase trade barriers to Bangladesh”, The Daily ADESHEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20610536~menu Star, 11 January 2010 PK:295780~pagePK:64027988~piPK:64027986 3 “On India-Bangladesh Trade Imbalances”, ~theSitePK:295760,00.html Diganta , 2 February 2010, IPCS Special Report 97, September 2010

 Imposition of state tax  Anti‐dumping (AD) is one of the WTO‐ Another kind of informal trade, termed legitimate measures introduced by ‘technical’ smuggling, involves explicit India during the 1990s, illegal practices such as under invoicing,  Countervailing duties misclassification and bribery of Customs and other officials. During the 1990’s 90% of industrial tariffs are now at about three quarters of imports were by 12.5%, far lower and far more uniform land and sea which has recently shown a then they have ever been in the past 50 decline to between 50% and 60%. The years.4 From the perspective of SAARC cause of concern for Bangladesh, thus, is countries, including Bangladesh, these more intense than that of India, since changes mean that Indian domestic much larger volumes of goods are markets, for most manufactured goods, smuggled from India to Bangladesh are highly competitive, with prices that escaping customs duties. Trade deficit is are close to world prices, and are likely to intertwined with other issues like trans‐ be difficult to penetrate even with shipment, transit and export of natural complete exemption from Indian tariffs gas, one of the natural resource possessed under bilateral or multilateral free trade by the independent nation of Bangladesh. arrangements such as those planned In a recent visit to India, Mr. H.E. Tariq A. under SAFTA. Karim, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Illegal and Informal Trade Studies, New Delhi noted that “…if India Informal trade carried out through were to facilitate Bangladesh’s exports to porous land border between India and India by completely removing all tariff Bangladesh adds to the trade deficit, and non‐tariff barriers, then the loss in dating back to the initial years of revenues to India from duties and levies Bangladesh’s birth. The substantial, would be insignificant while in return, informal and unrecorded trade, carried huge goodwill will be created…”5 which is across the India‐Bangladesh border, is actually essential for a progressive more quasi legal in nature, and is often relationship between two democracies. described as ‘informal’ rather than illegal, since there is wide participation of local II people in the border areas who operate in TRANSIT liaison with the anti‐smuggling enforcement agencies. Informal trade of Transit was used by India with Pakistan this kind often involves large numbers of till the 1965 war, after which it declined, local people individually transporting but with the consequent emergence of small quantities as head loads or through Bangladesh, it failed to change. bicycle rickshaws, also known as ‘bootleg’ Immediately after Bangladeshi smuggling. independence, it allowed transit in air and sea routes to India while the major issue http://horizonspeaks.wordpress.com/2010/02/02/ of transit through road remained on-india-bangladesh-trade-imbalances unattended. 4 Executive Summary Report, “Studies on India- Bangladesh Trade, Trade Policies and Potential FTA”, http://www.worldbank.org.bd/WBSITE/EXTER NAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/BANGL 5 Seminar Report, #313, 17 February ADESHEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20610536~menu 2010, “India-Bangladesh Relations”, PK:295780~pagePK:64027988~piPK:64027986 http://www.ipcs.org/seminar/bangladesh/indiaba ~theSitePK:295760,00.html ngladesh-relations-829.html 2

India-Bangladesh Relations: An Update

While air transit is still widely used than India, New Delhi is left with the only water transit, it has been considered option of urging the reopening of the uncompetitive over the years. The goods northeastern routes through Bangladesh carried from the Northeast of India to its West, and with Myanmar and south‐ reaches the mainland after traversing East Asia to the East. The region that is and , taking a route also rich in energy resources like natural much longer than what could have been gas and hydro‐electricity can progress, the shortest through Bangladesh. In spite thus addressing problems that give rise to of India’s frequent attempts to pursue the long‐ standing grievances, which in turn Bangladesh government to open transit encourage insurgency surrounding the for its economic activities, even at the cost region. of a hefty sum, it has been continuously refused on grounds that it is a possible The benefits of transit facility between threat to national security. India and Bangladesh are not limited to the Indian growth list. Bangladesh, whose Transshipment versus Transit average GDP is 6% per year, can also Transshipment refers to the shipment of become a regional hub. goods or containers to an intermediate destination, and then to yet another Role of the Asian Development Bank destination. This has been achieved by ADB (Asian Development Bank) Country India in its relationship with Bangladesh. Director Hua Du, pointed out in a seminar Transit refers to the passage of Indian to Bangladesh, “You can benefit good across Bangladeshi borders to and tremendously through opening up of from the North Eastern states of Indian transit and great opportunities for owned surface transport, while crossing from east to west and giving the transshipment may also refer to the same land‐locked neighbours access to the movement using Bangladesh‐owned sea.”6 transport. This remains an issue of contention. The controversial issue of connecting Bangladesh to the Asian Highway is Bangladesh, on the 31 May, 2010 signed sustained by the anti Indian groups in an agreement to finalize a transshipment Bangladesh. The Asian highway, also deal with India to allow Indian goods to known as the Great Asian Highway, is a be transported to the northeastern city of cooperative project among countries in in the state of Assam through Asia and Europe and the United Nations Bangladeshi territory. Anything produced Economic and Social Commission for Asia in the northeast region of India faces the and the Pacific [ESCAP], to improve the difficulty of marketing to the rest of the highway systems in Asia. Anti‐India country, the main reason being the groups in Bangladesh for the opposition distance to the port of Kolkata. With of the Asian highway scheme feel that: globalization and the policy of liberalization no foreign or private  Transit facility once given is difficult company is going to be inclined to invest to take back. in the north‐east corner of India owing to several hassles, including the rise in transportation cost. Thus hampering the 6 Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, “Transit, development of the north eastern market. Asian Highway and other issues on table for Bangladeshi Government”, American Chronicle, To deal with such logistical problems of September 24, 2009, linking the Northeast with the rest of http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view /118555 IPCS Special Report 97, September 2010

 It may give rise to more violent acts of water has been shaping relationships terrorism and insurgency within the region’s states.  With the availability of transit facilities to the North‐eastern Indian The Farakka Barrage states that now depend on The origin of the dispute can be traced Bangladesh for imports would move back to the Treaty of Friendship, towards selling its own products to Cooperation and Peace signed by then the region and Bangladesh will lose. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and  There is a fear of destroying the roads Bangladesh’s founding leader and Prime and highways of Bangladesh by the Minister Sheik Mujibur Rahman on 19 Indian traders and gradually military March, 1972. According to the treaty, the personnel passing through. two nations established a Joint River  There is an abundant lack of trust Commission to work towards the between India and Bangladesh that common interests and sharing of water resulted from India’s contradicted resources, irrigation, floods and cyclone position on the Farakka Barrage and control. As per the treaty, the Farakka the sharing of Ganga Water. Barrage was built in 1974, about 10 kilometers from the border of The Chittagong port can become a Bangladesh, controlling the flow of the modern busy port like Singapore and , possessing strong economic and China serving the SAARC countries. religious importance, diverting some of  Huge foreign investment may be the water into a feeder canal linking the attracted by Bangladesh and finally, a , keeping it silt free. throbbing service sector like banks, insurance, hotels, rest houses, petrol With increasing demands for water in pumps etc. may develop around the Kolkata for industrial and domestic use, Transcontinental roads and railways. and for irrigational purposes in other  There is an estimate of direct parts of , dispute over the economic gain from transit fees. It sharing of water is intensifying. The ranges from 500 crore taka to 4,666 objective behind the construction of the crore taka. Farakka Barrage was to increase the lean  The mutual transit will give period flow of the Bhagirathi‐Hooghly Bangladesh a much shorter route to river branch of the Ganges to increase the China and an initiative to link Chinese water depth at the Kolkata port which province of Yunan with Seven Sisters was threatened by siltation. In November of India, Myanmar, Thailand and 1977 the two countries proposed a five Bangladesh. year agreement on water sharing. However, the basic issue remained unaddressed, leading to its lapse in 1982. III Finally a comprehensive bilateral treaty WATER was signed by the Indian Prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda and his Bangladeshi For centuries, natural resources have counterpart Sheik Hasina Wajed on 12 been a source of continual conflict December, 1996. This treaty established a between nations, though unlike oil, which thirty year water sharing arrangement still is a major cause of discord between with guaranteed minimum quantities of nations, water remains a less disputed water supply for Bangladesh, whose issue. But this varies regionally. In the rights as a lower riparian country was Middle Eastern and North African states, recognized.

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India-Bangladesh Relations: An Update

The 30 year water sharing treaty interpretation says that this treaty is envisaged that the water of the Ganges successful in settling the dispute over the River would be distributed from Farakka sharing of water, but contrary views on for the two countries between 1 January the part of India and Bangladesh have and 31 May of each year, and that India been extended over this treaty that also was required to maintain the flow of has the provision of being reviewed at the Farakka at the average level of the end of five years, or even at the end of previous 40 years including any critical two years, if so wished. period when Bangladesh would continue to receive 35000 cusec of flow. This treaty The Bangladeshi view suggests: essentially regarded the lean season flows  There was unilateral diversion of related to actual flows at various levels Ganga water by India at Farakka not exceeding 75% dependable flows, as prior to the 30 year water sharing in past agreements. The basic formula of treaty. equal sharing during the lean season flows had two modifications at the upper and lower extremes. Governmental

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7 http://www.defence.pk/forums/bangladesh-defence/59471-india-going-ahead-tipai-dam-2.html  This was a case of a large and more share and realize that water is an powerful country disregarding the intangible asset that does not recognize needs and interests of a small and political boundaries…there should be an weaker neighbor, resulting in emphasis on water conservation and reduction in flows that had serious optimum water management”.9 adverse effects on Bangladesh. This view further ascribes to the big Dispute brotherly attitude of India over her The Teesta River enters Bangladesh near neighbours.8 Nilphamari district and courses 45  Critics also emphasized kilometers through the predominant rice‐ environmental hazards such as growing districts of Rangpur, Lalmonirhat raised salinity levels, contaminated and Gaibandha before meeting the fisheries, hindered navigation and a in Kunigram. The threat to the water quality and Teesta River floodplain that includes the quantity. Silt levels were believed to extreme northwest region of the country have an adverse effect on the accounts for 14% of the total cropped Hooghly River and the Kolkata Port. area in 2001. Around 63% of the total cropped area in the region is irrigated The Indian view suggests: laying down a direct link between  That the water allocated to irrigational water availability and Bangladesh leaves India with less agricultural use. The floodplain which is water necessary for the functioning of presently considered a dry zone depends the Kolkata port and the National on the Trans Boundary River flows Thermal Power Corporation at between India and Bangladesh. Farakka.  Bangladesh has taken an Sheikh Hasina in her three day visit to unnecessarily rigid and unreasonable India on 10 January 2010 exchanged draft stand on this issue. Greatly agreements on the Teesta water sharing overstating its water needs, issue with India, after a two‐day Bangladesh claims a disproportionate ministerial level meeting of the Joint River share of water. Commission was held. While Bangladesh presented a draft on an interim Bangladesh High Commissioner to India agreement, India presented a draft of a Mr. H.E. Tariq A. Karim, during his Statement of Principles on the sharing of address at the Institute of Peace and river water during the dry season. The Conflict Studies in New Delhi, regarding immediate achievement of this meeting water sharing between India and was the decision that, within a year, an Bangladesh commented that agreement over the Teesta River water “Transparency in these matters is very sharing would be signed. It would provide important…India and Bangladesh must key support to agricultural production in not quibble about cusecs or percentage of the northwest region of Bangladesh. One question that remained unanswered regarded the amount of river water likely 8 Executive Summary Report, 2005, “Studies on to be shared between the countries. India-Bangladesh Trade, Trade Policies and Potential FTA”, http://www.worldbank.org.bd/WBSITE/EXTER 9 Seminar Report, #313, 17 February NAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/BANGL 2010, “India-Bangladesh Relations”, ADESHEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20610536~menu http://www.ipcs.org/seminar/bangladesh/indiaba PK:295780~pagePK:64027988~piPK:64027986 ngladesh-relations-829.html ~theSitePK:295760,00.html India-Bangladesh Relations: An Update

Critics suggest a joint initiative to be survival of the newly installed Hasina undertaken by India and Bangladesh, to government. Border skirmishes occurred build reservoirs in both the countries that around the village of Padua, also known would help in storing the excess water as Pyrdiwah, in India adjoining the state during the rainy season and utilize it of and the Timbli area of during the dry seasons. Sylhet district in Bangladesh. It was held that India had illegal possession of the IV area since 1971. Attention to the disputed BORDER area was drawn to Bangladesh when the Indian forces attempted to construct a footpath from an army outpost in Padua Land Border across the disputed territory some 300 India and Bangladesh share almost 4096 meters wide to Meghalaya. The refusal of kilometers of land border, whereas the Indian forces to withdraw led to the official records suggest that only 6.5 conflict that lasted from 16th to the 19th of kilometers of land along the Comilla‐ April killing 16 Indian and 11 Bangladeshi Tripura border is considered as officially soldiers.; 243 people were killed due to disputed by the governments of both exchange of firing between security forces countries. But the border disputes of both countries, and further led 10,000 between Bangladesh and India are by no Bangladeshi and 1000 Indians to flee means confined to demarcation problems. from the disputed area because of the It is further linked with other problems ongoing tension. like illegal migration of people and goods and other cross border criminal activities. Maritime border While Bangladesh, having concave Within just six weeks of partition, the coastlines, delimits its sea border border between India and Pakistan was southward from the edge of its land drawn by Sir Cyril Radcliff on the basis of boundary, India stretches its claim the Two Nation Theory. This provided for southeast wards, covering around India’s control over 112 enclaves and thousands of miles in the . Bangladesh’s control over 32 enclaves Due to competing claims of the two based on the religious identities of the countries, delimitation of the sea inhabitants of those areas. An agreement boundary and determining Bangladesh’s was signed by the Presidents of the two exclusive economic zones have remained countries in 1972 but since it was not unresolved. Moreover, in terms of ratified by India it could not be put into determining the continental shelf, the effect. On the other hand Bangladesh’s presence of the Andamans and Nicobar immediate ratification of the treaty and Islands puts India, in a favorable position. the fulfillment of its obligation gave way to the return of Berubari to India by Territorial Waters Bangladesh, while India gave permission The issue of demarcating territorial to Bangladesh to use the Tin Bigha waters led to serious differences between corridor in 1992 which would work as an the two countries. Questions of entrance to Bangladesh’s enclaves inside ownership over a new born island known India. as South Talpatty in Bangladesh and New Moore/ Purbasha in India spotted by a Boundary Dispute satellite picture in 1975 in the estuary of The boundary dispute between India and Haribhanga River on the border of the Bangladesh in April 2001 worsened two countries has been a source of relations. It raised questions about the contention since its discovery. In order to IPCS Special Report 97, September 2010 settle the above dispute Bangladesh In the Northeastern states like Nagaland, proposed sending a joint Indo‐Bangladesh the population of Bangladeshi, mostly team to determine the flow of channels of Muslim immigrants, have more than the river on the basis of existing tripled in the past decade, from 20,000 International Law of the Sea. But the Bangladeshi immigrants in 1991, to more Indian counterpart sent forces to than 75,000 as of 2001. establish claims by stationing naval troops on the island in 1981. After initial Drug Trafficking resentment by Bangladesh, India agreed Bangladesh is increasingly being used as a to resolve the issue through negotiations. transit point by drug dealers and the drug Till now the sovereignty over the island mafia, which dispatches heroin and nation remains undecided, and recent opium from Burma, and other countries reports of the press and media suggests of the golden triangle, to different that Bangladesh views India with destinations. As a result, Bangladesh’s suspicion in its activities over the Department of Narcotics Control has disputed piece of landmass on the breast come under the scanner several times and of an international water. invited criticism. Bangladesh has become the prime transit route for trafficking heroin to Europe from Southeast Asia, V according to a report from the SECURITY CONCERNS International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) 2007 annual report’10 . Illegal immigration is a perennial problem in almost all nations. Problems of INCB notes that the most common immigration considered illegal have even methods and routes for smuggling heroin led to the outbreaks of xenophobic into Bangladesh are by courier from violence in certain places. India has Pakistan, commercial vehicles and trains completed around 1357 kilometer fencing from India, and via sea through the Bay of of the international border with plans to Bengal or overland by truck or public cover another 2429 kilometer of border transport from Burma. in the second phase and also plans to illuminate around 300 kilometer of Anti Terror Cooperation international border to prevent illegal The Ministry of Defence, India, expressed migration. Cooperative measures like its interest in seeking Bangladesh’s ‘firm joint patrolling of the border areas, cooperation’ in fighting anti‐India terror consular access to prisons and signing of and insurgent outfits operating from its an extradition treaty are on the verge of soil. The armies of both countries have, in materializing as steps to increase vigil to the past, proved their might by fighting check drug and arms trafficking, as well the ULFA cadres, by, for example, the as illegal immigration, especially the handing over of Arabinda Rajkowa to the trafficking women and children. The Indian Security agencies. Centre for Women and Children Studies based in Bangladesh estimated in 1998 that 27,000 Bangladeshis had been forced into prostitution in India. Illegal 10 Bangladeshi migrants enter Indian “Bangladesh used as Heroin Trafficking Territory to settle in rural areas like routes”, March 07, 2008, Narinjara News, Burma Nandigram in West Bengal, as share News International, http://www.bnionline.net/news/narinjara/3719- croppers. bangladesh-used-as-heroin- traffickingroutes.html. 8

India-Bangladesh Relations: An Update

Bangladeshi attempts to cooperate with India or China first. Bangladesh, has India on anti‐terror grounds, recognized always used China as a counter balance that some Pakistan based terror outfits against India, was generous this time had formed a strong nexus with militants towards India, when Prime Minister in Bangladesh, because of its close Sheikh Hasina decided to visit her Indian proximity to India with its porous border, counterpart, Prime Minister Manmohan to carry out attacks in India. India has Singh first. vital security related concerns vis‐à‐vis Bangladesh such as sanctuaries enjoyed A major setback to the enthusiasm in by indigenous Indian ethnic terrorist India of Hasina’s visit, came in the form of organizations like ULFA, activities of trans her visit to China immediately after that, border Islamic terrorist groups like wherein a communiqué was issued, Muslim Liberation Tigers of Assam consisting of similar transit facilities (MULTA), the Independent Liberation given to China as given to India. Army of Assam (ILAA) and the People Bangladesh sought Chinese assistance in United Liberation Front (PULF), the constructing a highway passing through activities from Bangladesh territory of Myanmar to Yunan province in China. A pro‐AL Qaeda organizations of Pakistani rail network passing through the same origins supported by the ISI such as the area has been proposed. Bangladesh was LeT, HuJI, and Harkat‐ul‐Mujahideen also reportedly engaged in persuading (HuM), gun running in India’s northeast China to further develop and use the from and through Bangladesh, illegal Chittagong port and develop a deep sea migration into Assam and West Bengal, port at Sonadia Island. This becomes the flow of funds from Wahabi charity problematic for India who fears China’s organizations in Saudi Arabia to access to the Myanmar naval base in fundamentalist elements in Bangladesh‐ Hanggyi Islands and the monitoring India region, money laundering through station, established at Coco Island in the India‐Nepal and India‐Bangladesh region, north of India’s Andaman and Nicobar etc. Islands. India fears China encircling India as part of its String of Pearls strategy. The India is often seen as a big power with relationship between China and hegemonistic tendencies amongst its Bangladesh since 1975 influences neighbors in the subcontinent. Bangladesh to move away from India. Bangladesh, in relation to India, has to Bangladesh maintains a very close take note of the large anti‐Indian relationship with China for its economic sentiments presiding in its soil. After all, and military needs.11 no successful democracy can avoid the feelings and sentiments of its people. In Over the years, the two sides have signed fact, the sustenance of a democracy a plethora of bilateral agreements depends on the will of the people, and the including economic engagements, soft performance of a democracy is measured loans, social contacts, cultural exchanges, by the scale of fulfillment of the wishes of academic interactions, infrastructural its people. development and military sales at reduced prices, with China emerging as VI EXTERNAL INFLUENCES 11 Jasim Uddin Khan, “ China top import source A perplexing issue the Prime minister of for Bangladesh: Beats India for the first time”, Vol 5, No.614, The Daily Bangladesh faced before her visit to India Star, 19 February 2006. in January 2010 was whether to visit IPCS Special Report 97, September 2010 the major supplier of arms to development of long term institutional Bangladesh’s armed forces. China and relationships with smaller neighbors of Bangladesh along with Myanmar, have South Asia. This was clearly reflected in decided to build the 900 kilometer India’s aversion towards multilateral Kunming Highway linking Chittagong cooperation frameworks like SAARC and with Kunming through Myanmar to the lack of reciprocation in trade and facilitate greater trade. Dhaka‐Beijing economic cooperation with countries, as relations have reached new heights as seen with Bangladesh. China overtook India as Bangladesh’s largest trading partner. In addition to The United States’ hegemony over the economic engagement, Bangladesh and years achieved a boost with its China in 2005 signed the Bangladesh‐ involvement with smaller and weaker China Cooperation Agreement on the neighboring allies in several economic Peaceful Usage of Nuclear Energy which and security cooperation ventures like aims to assist Bangladesh in developing the NATO and NAFTA. But India’s peaceful nuclear energy for power influence in a regional context results in generation and other developmental discontentment on the part of weaker purposes and a Defense Cooperation states. Thus, India should rely on an Agreement with China in 2002. institutional doctrine with greater involvement with smaller and weaker India, considers South Asia as its neighboring states with an aim to aid backyard, exerting influence over it, and their efforts to develop themselves in so a growing relationship between China various fields. and Bangladesh is visualized by India as potentially problematic. Bangladesh tries The history of the formation of the to bargain between India and China, thus European Union as a powerful regional standing only to gain. Apart from that, bloc shows a greater compromise on the Bangladesh’s government over the years part of bigger states like France and has been characterized by one favoring Germany to achieve regional cohesion India, and one against it. Additionally, the and peaceful relations. India, too, should Chinese quest for regional power and prepare itself to compromise on certain then global power should be taken into fronts if regional cohesion and peace is to account. This quest is based on the be achieved. sustained and dedicated engagement with India’s neighbors for access and basing. India’s relationship with all South Asian Therefore, Bangladesh has been an countries should not be dictated by its obvious choice for partnership. relationship with Pakistan and China, with whom it has undergone prolonged VI conflict and competition. If India wishes CONCLUSIONS to continue its relationship with Bangladesh, it needs to take a good look Bangladesh‐India relations over the years at the stand it takes towards other South reflect the prominence of coercive Asian countries also. A hegemonic stance elements in India’s hegemonic role in by India would have significant impact on South Asia. This perception will affect the the Indo‐Bangladesh relations.

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