From developing a nuclear power plant to border haats; more consignments of Covid vaccines to a new train service; from a start-up conclave that will bring together entrepreneurs from both countries to India’s participation in the first-ever air show in Bangladesh in 2022, from cooperation in space to artificial intelligence — a slew of outcomes covering several areas were listed in the joint statement issued after the Mod-Hasina bilateral.

Pacts were signed in the areas of Disaster Management; trade remedial measures; supply of ICT equipment; training for a digital service; establishment of sports facilities.

Both sides also inaugurated Mitali Express, a passenger train service on the Dhaka-New Jalpaiguri-Dhaka route through the Chilahati-Haldibari rail link and announced linking the historic road between Mujibnagar and Nadia.

                                      Emerging cutting-edge areas of “science, artificial intelligence, peaceful uses of nuclear technology, big data and technology-enabled services in health and education,” were identified as new sectors of co-operation. To facilitate further youth exchanges between the two countries, Modi invited 50 young entrepreneurs from Bangladesh to visit India and pitch their ideas to venture capitalists.

                           Bangladesh is the largest foreign recipient of India-made vaccines – 10.2 million doses, including 3.2 million as a gift. Delhi has also given 109 life-support ambulances, some of them specifically meant for Rohingya refugee camps at Cox’s Bazaar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2021 also virtually inaugurated the Bharat Bangla Maitri Bridge in Tripura’s South district, The 1.9-km bridge joins Sabroom in Tripura with Ramgarh in Bangladesh.The Maitri bridge will now facilitate access to Bangladesh’s Chittagong port, only 80 kilometres away from Sabroom.

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India and Bangladesh share 4096.7 km. of border, which is the longest land boundary that India shares with any of its neighbors.

New Delhi and Dhaka have a long standing and time-tested Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT), which was first signed in 1972. It was renewed in 2015 for a period of five years with a provision for its automatic renewal for a further period of five years, which took place in May 2020.

Through this, two new routes were added to the India-Bangladesh protocol routes: Sonamura-Daudkandi and Daudkandi-Sonamura. The maritime connectivity was enhanced as a trial for the transhipment to India’s Northeast through Chittagong and was completed in July 2020.

 India provided medical aid to Bangladesh to tackle medical assistance for dealing with Covid-19 pandemic. Besides, railway connectivity got a major boost as freight services were increased in past few months. Another important development of the period has been India providing 10 locomotives to the railways in Bangladesh as grant in aid.

IRRITANTS

The Teesta water dispute remains unresolved. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens, which Ms. Hasina called “unnecessary”, have created a negative impression about India. 

The random killing of Bangladesh nationals by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) and trade barriers are other irritants.

The regional connectivity has been one of the most-discussed issues in recent years. Indian sought connectivity between its two states—West Bengal and Meghalaya—through Bangladesh. But not much progress could be made in this particular area because of the lack of reciprocity.