Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is arriving in India on Monday on a four-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties. During this, the main focus of both the countries will be on connectivity, energy, food security as well as trade and investment opportunities. Hasina will meet President Draupadi Murmu, and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar during her visit. Also, she will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues related to bilateral relations. Defense cooperation and stability in South Asia will be the main focus area apart from pending and regular bilateral issues during the talks between the two Prime Ministers. Sources say that Hasina can demand permission to send food supplies and goods to Nepal and Bhutan from India. The guest PM is likely to go on a visit to Ajmer. This will be Hasina’s first visit to India after the year 2019.
Relations strengthened in recent years
There are many similarities between Bangladesh and India in culture, economics, political history, language, religion, etc. Despite the fact that India played an important role in the independence of Bangladesh, the relationship between the two countries has not been very close or dispute-free. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dhaka gave an edge to the ties between the two countries. In recent years, there have been many agreements between the two countries in the diplomatic and economic fields. Under the visionary leadership of PM Modi and Sheikh Hasina, India and Bangladesh have achieved tangible results in many areas including defense, security, power, and energy, connectivity, commerce, cultural exchanges, development cooperation, trade, land, and maritime demarcation. According to reports, Bangladesh has taken a quantum leap in terms of development recently.
Visiting Asia in an environment of political and economic crisis
Hasina’s visit comes against the backdrop of political and economic crisis, terrorism, and military coups in the South Asia region. Also, his visit assumes a lot of significance amid efforts to bring the economy back on track after the Corona pandemic. Bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh have evolved over time. In this, there is a provision to find amicable solutions to the problems arising through dialogue and constructive dialogue. However, there are some disputes between the two countries. Bangladesh has approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a loan to stabilize its foreign exchange reserves. Bangladesh wants to initiate negotiations for the India-Bangladesh Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
disputes over water resources
India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers. Ganga, Teesta, Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gomti, Dharla, Dudhkumar, and Kushiyara are prominent among these rivers. There has been a dispute between the two countries over the last 35 years regarding water management and sharing of water resources. Even after several bilateral agreements and several rounds of talks, concrete results have not been reached. The two countries have identified seven rivers to share water.
