Bangladesh-India Shahidur Rahman, PhD Associate Professor Department of Economics & Social Sciences BRAC University

Historical Overview:  India’s assistance in achieving Bangladesh’s independence  Treaty of Friendship and Peace for 25 years (1972)  Killing of Mujib disrupted Bangladesh-India ties  Why? Shifting of basis of nationalism  1977 agreement on sharing of river Ganges water  1992 agreement on Tin Bigha Corridor  2009 agreement

Comparison: Development Indicators BDINDBDIND Life Expectancy Infant Mort.(per000) Birth rate (%) Female Education(%) Per capital income$50-70$116$1883$3876 (2014) Source: World Bank 2014

Factors that inhibit better relations  Structural  Institutional  Bilateral

Structural: Balance India’s Dominance  Geographical domination by India  Bangladesh’s attempt in balancing India’s preponderance Pakistan China

Institutional: Domestic Politics  Bangladesh: Awami League: India’s stooge BNP’s anti-Indian attitude India’s effort to rectify this situation

Domestic politics ….  India: BJP’s election manifesto Assam issue Illegal migration

Bilateral Issues  Water:  Ganges  Farakka Barrage

‘’’’’’

Migration:Illegal immigration to India  Altered India’s border demography  India’s claim mln  Killing Bangladeshis by BSF (BSF:BDR 2.5:1)  1974 border agreement yet to implement  2886 km border fence  Indians helping chakma and Bangladesh helping asam

Bangladeshi people killed by BSF in 2010 MonthNumber of death January12 Feb5 March5 April3 May6 June6 July9 August4 September2 October7 November8 December8 Total75

Murder of Felani by BSF

BSF Border Fence

Islamic Fundamentalism  Attempt to talibanization of Bangladesh  Pakistan based terrorist groups training camp in Bangladesh  Terrorist attack in India- HuJI

Weak economic ties  Member of SAARC and BIMSTEC  Transportation of natural gas and transit  Tata proposal  Tariff concession on export of Bangladeshi goods

Weak economic ties

Trade Gap YearExportsImportsBalance of Trade (July-June)(US$ millions)

Tata US$3 bln. Projects  Establish a power plant, a steel plant and a fertilizer plant  Command over Bangladesh's natural gas and coal  Costs on Bangladesh:  Highly insecure energy sector  Damage Barapukuria coal mine area  Tax incentive

Progress in 2009  $1billion line of credit for infrastructure development in Bangladesh  remove 47 items from its negative list to give Bangladeshi products duty-free access to its market  India will set up a 14-km metre gauge rail line between Akhaura and Agartala  it will give Bangladesh transit to Nepal and Bhutan, and export 250 megawatts of electricity from its central grid.  Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, Transfer of Sentenced Persons and Combating International Terrorism, Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking.