Jaishankar plans Dhaka visit to finalise Hasina's Delhi trip

Indian foreign secretary S. Jaishankar will visit Dhaka next week for talks that India hopes will culminate in Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina travelling to New Delhi in April, reports 'The Telegraph".

Hasina was expected to visit New Delhi in December but her trip was postponed because of a late scheduling mismatch.

Bangladesh then proposed a February visit but India cited the ongoing elections in five states to seek a further deferral, senior officials have said.

But while officials insist the deferrals on both occasions were rooted in logistical challenges, they triggered speculation of discontent in Bangladesh over India's failure to reach a breakthrough with the Bengal government on the Teesta water-sharing accord. reports 'The Telegraph".

Hasina has long had to walk a tightrope on ties with India, portrayed by sections of the Bangladesh opposition as the neighbourhood hegemony, and is facing national elections in early 2018.

Though India and Bangladesh settled a niggling, colonial era border enclave dispute in 2015, New Delhi's inability to implement a water-sharing pact for the Teesta remains a source of frustration for Dhaka.

But for India, ties with Bangladesh have emerged an exemplar for the neighbourhood in recent years.

They are marked by only one irony: Hasina is the only leader of a neighbouring country who has not visited on a fully bilateral trip since the Narendra Modi government took office.

"I think both sides know the reality of the complexities that continue to challenge the Teesta accord," former Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty had told The Telegraph recently. "But I also think both sides see the immense potential in other areas, and appear willing to build on those."

India is keen to develop and use Chittagong and Mongla ports, and has identified land for two special economic zones in Bangladesh. Pacts on these may be inked during Hasina's proposed visit, officials said.

But counter-terrorism and defence are increasingly emerging as the new priorities in the India-Bangladesh relationship.

India has received significant assistance from the Hasina government in combating terror groups and has in turn offered technical aid when Dhaka has faced terror attacks.

But India is also worried about China's persistent attempts at strengthening its influence over Bangladesh.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his visit to Dhaka last year, had overseen the signing of pacts amounting to US$ 25 billion in investments in Bangladesh.

In November, Bangladesh purchased two submarines from China, upsetting India - though New Delhi did not lodge a formal protest. China, in any case,  is Bangladesh's biggest supplier of military hardware.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar, during a December visit to Dhaka, had promised to elevate military ties with Bangladesh, and Indian officials have indicated they are willing to supply ships and patrol vessels.

India has also offered Bangladesh assistance in hydrography to map its territorial waters better.

But sharing of river waters has scarred the relationship, specially due to persistent objections . West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has not only opposed the Teesta accord but also Bangladesh's plans to build the Ganges barrage at Pangsha near Rajbari.

India's federal government is keen to cooperate on the Ganges barrage project and has made efforts to convince Banerjee of possible benefits . but she has remained adamant.