Bangladesh-India diplomacy. It’s long and short. You’re a partner, alright: The recent diplomatic flurry between Bangladesh and India reveals just how deep and complex the relationship is, based as it is on cooperation, mutual respect and common concerns for the region. India is larger in geographical terms and shares a much longer border with Bangladesh, but both countries have broadly sought to improve ties through dialogue, commerce and development projects.
Present State of Relations between Bangladesh and India
Bangladesh stands committed to its consistent and principled position not to interfere in bilateral affairs of other States. Bangladesh and India still stick to co-operation in the following fields: – 1.
10) Trade & Connectivity: Bangladesh and India are important trading partners, and both the countries are beneficiaries of cross border connectivity projects.
Security Cooperation: Collaborating to address transnational crime and terrorism has built trust.
Sharing Water & Energy: Understanding and agreements on rivers and energy (on rivers like Teesta and yet to be finalised) showed ongoing interest.
Border Dynamics
And despite all the tensions, the border between Bangladesh and India is one of the most peaceful borders in South Asia due to the:
Coordinated Patrolling BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) exchange vital information on a regular basis.
Trade & Cultural Ties: Unofficial trade and people-to-people contact help limit friction.
Mechanisms for Dispute Resolutions: Both sides have had mechanisms to deal with sporadic incidents.
Are There Dissatisfactions or High Stress?
While all relations are sometimes stormy, there is not much evidence of widespread malaise in the border region. Less serious incidents (e.g. smuggling, unauthorized crossings) are addressed through regular mechanisms. Bangladesh wants to be stable and India values its relationship with Dhaka.
Conclusion
The ties between Bangladesh and India are strong and both the countries believe in settling differences of opinion through diplomacy. The border areas are relatively stable, indicating the maturity of the bilateral relations.
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