Shringla sees ‘limitless opportunities’ in India-Bangladesh ties

India sees “no limits” to the potential of its relations with Bangladesh as the two neighbours embarked on a new kind of friendship for the benefits of the people.

“We are really looking for comprehensive relations that can bring development, growth and betterment of the people of the two countries,” Harsh Vardhan Shringla said, interacting with diplomatic correspondents in Dhaka on Tuesday.

“The opportunities are limitless,” he said in discussing all aspects of bilateral relations, including the recent visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when her counterpart Narendra Modi said a “golden era” began.

Shringla also touched on the irritants of the relations which include Teesta water sharing and border management and reiterated that even a single death on the border is “too much”.

The Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh or DCAB organised the programme under its flagship event, DCABtalk.

President Rezaul Karim and General Secretary Pantho Rahaman conducted the talk.

India, Bangladesh relations took a new turn after Modi came to power. The decades old land boundary agreement has been settled. Both sides signed 6O documents in the last two years for cooperation in almost all fields ranging from medical services to energy-sector cooperation.

India also promised nearly $8 billion line of credit for development activities in Bangladesh in the last eight years.

But there are critics in the relations who point to the pending issue such as Teesta water sharing deal. Activists protesting coal-fired power plant at Rampal also accuse India for the site selection adjacent to the Sundarbans.

The High Commissioner categorically said they had nothing to do in the site selection of Rampal power plant. It is Bangladesh who decided where to do the power plant.

He said the Adani Group is also setting up a coal-based power plant in the Indian state of Jharkhand to supply electricity to Bangladesh.

“So the argument that India is deliberately polluting Bangladesh environment… is wrong.”

“You tell us what you require,” he said, even after the terrorist attack onJuly 1 last year, “we did not come to say we have this expertise. Whatever you require we are happy to help in that area. It is for Bangladesh to indicate what it requires”.

He reiterated Prime Minister Modi's comment on Teesta.

Modi during Hasina’s recent visit said he firmly believed that the two can resolve Teesta as early as possible.

Asked whether the Teesta deal can be signed before the elections in Bangladesh next year, he said India has no intention to get involved in Bangladesh’s domestic politics. 

“We have been trying hard to keep ourselves away from your domestic issues. I think to a large extent we have succeeded”.

He said the border issue was “a very valid” issue and BSF have taken “disciplinary and self-restrictive” measures in the border.

“We have taken comprehensive border management,” he said, referring to the joint efforts of both border guards -- BGB and BSF-- for border management.

He said the border killing dropped significantly. Now it is less than 20 per year, and all are linked with criminal activities and most of them were shot after mid night. BSF shot many of them for self-defence.

He said three to four BSF personnel were also killed while 200 were injured.

“Every death is unacceptable. Our endeavour is to bring down it to a zero,” he said.

“Our endeavour is to create the relation which is sustainable,” he said, adding that people are the stakeholders of the relations.

He said Bangladesh’s exports to India have increased 31 percent after New Delhi allowed duty-free quota-free market access to all products. It was a contentious issue in 2O11.

He also said one of the non-tariff barriers was to accept the BSTI testing results in Indian border. This is also being addressed after joint efforts. Now, 20 major products are already cleared and time will come when all products will get direct entry with BSTI certificate.

He said the old road and rail links are being restored as both neighbours are focusing on the connectivity that existed before the 1965 Indo-Pak war.

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Some of these historical linkages are still in use while others have been discontinued or fallen into disuse due to lack of traffic.

At present, there are four operational inter-country railway links and two more are proposed to be reopened soon.

He said the visa process has been eased and for that the number of tourists has gone up to 1.5 million last year.

He, however, said there are be challenges in the relations as both countries are “interlinked”.

On future relations, he said the governments should provide the framework in which the irritants and challenging aspects are removed.

“We focus on constructive aspect of the relations. The government creates a facilitating environment. The rest of the thing will be taken care of by the businesses, media, and civil society”.

“We are sovereign independent nation, but we share a lot,” he said, “creating an enabling environment with good connectivity, good links and easy travel, there is no limit (of relations) between our two countries”.

He praised Bangladesh's anti-terrorism effort and said the response to the post-July 1 terrorist attack has been “quite comprehensive and effective”.

“We feel very safe and secure,” he said, adding that no country is now immune to terrorism.