The people of India have warm feelings for Bangladeshis. The bilateral turf has witnessed many significant developments which would go a long way in promoting peace, security and economic ties in South Asia. However, good news does not make headlines in the media-problems invariably do.There are some aspects in our relations which engender these.
Bangladesh has a huge trade imbalance with India. This cannot be bridged by export and import alone. But if Bangladesh gives India transit facilities through its territory, it can earn huge revenue which can wipe out its trade deficit with India as it will be much more economical for Indian traders to send goods to the Northeast using the shorter route.If this could have been allowed in the pre- 1971 period, why should it be an irritant now ?
Over 20 million Bangaldeshis have illegally entered into India and are causing socio-economic problems. The government of Bangladesh is not seen as doing enough to address this issue. Bangladesh's refusal to even recognise this problem is a problem in itself.
It is not a figment of Indian imagination that the Al-Qaeda has a presence in Bangladesh. This has been reported and well documented by the international media.It is not India's intention to malign or defame Bangladesh. While greater responsibility is cast on the bigger country to create a climate of confidence and trust, the responsibility of the other cannot be minimised in contributing towards the fund of goodwill. Bangladesh's refusal to recognise infiltration and the use of its territory by insurgents or Al-Qaeda-Jihadi elements is manifestation of a tendency to refuse to face the problems squarely.
Happily, Bangladesh by itself is free from indigenous terrorism. But foreign terrorists striking bases there could engulf the host in a situation not to Dhaka's liking. Terrorism is a Frankenstien which, if not checked, could gobble up not only Bangladesh, but the entire neighbourhood. It is in this perspective that India's articulation of such fears with much greater stridency than before has to be viewed. It should be taken as a wake-up call.
The same problem is seen in Dhaka's response to India's repeated entreaties to check the presence of Northeast insurgents in its soil. Whenever the issue is raised, Dhaka's stock response has been that its territory will not be permitted for use against India. This is not enough. Many responsible leaders of the country have gone on record for saying that the insurgents are "freedom fighters". There is also a tendency to place them on the same footing as the Mukti Bahini. The evidence placed before Dhaka's consideration by India should not be slighted in this way. Bangladesh must cooperate in curbing their activities. The media attention that the issue receives is quite justified.
Avtar Singh Bhasin, Former diplomat
and commentator on Indo-Bangladesh relations