Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, on his first international tour since the pandemic lockdown, is visiting Dhaka on a two-day tour between August 18 and 19. According to the ministry of external affairs (MEA), the visit “is to discuss and take forward co-operation and matters of mutual interest.'
He will also be the first international guest that Bangladesh prime minister Shaikh Hasina will receive ever since the pandemic triggered lockdowns in March.
The meeting, though being downplayed by the government, is important given that there is a frost in the relationship between the two nations ever since India enacted the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) last year. This, despite India claiming that the ties are in their swarnim adhyay (golden chapter). Hasina had earlier said she did not understand why India had to enact the CAA, though she agreed it was India's internal matter. Similarly, the inauguration of the temple construction in Ayodhya has also caused worry lines across the border, even though Bangladesh once again agrees it is an internal matter.
However, Dhaka has been warming up to China, and even Pakistan, on China's prodding, in recent months. China is investing in infrastructure projects in Bangladesh. An airport deal, and now reports of heavy Chinese investment in projects on the river Teesta. A personal visit at a time like this is an investment India feels prudent to make. The neighbourhood has, of late, been rather slippery for India.
Nepal, too, has been clamouring for New Delhi's attention, which finally happened with the talk between the two prime ministers on Independence Day.
Bangladesh hasn't thrown hissy fits yet and has been rather diplomatic in its choice of words regarding concerns over India's internal matters. The two countries launched important connectivity projects during the pandemic. One was the inauguration of a domestic cargo route for India through Bangladesh. The first-ever cargo container went from Kolkata to Agartala through the Chattogram Port in July, marking a “historic achievement”. Bangladesh had opened its port to allow India to transport cargo to the northeast states. The link has the potential for trade within India as well as in the region. It cuts down the distance from Kolkata to Agartala from 1600km to less than 500km. A week later, India handed over ten rail locomotives to Dhaka under grant assistance that it had previously committed to. India has also been supplying medicines to Bangladesh to deal with the pandemic and has also conducted training sessions for its health experts under the SAARC initiative that Narendra Modi had opened.
Bangladesh is an important neighbour, and the last visit that Modi cancelled because of the pandemic was to Dhaka to participate in the centenary celebration of Shaikh Mujibur Rahman. Till almost the very end, he remained committed to this tour, though he had cancelled his tour to Europe to participate in the India-EU summit. Ultimately he gave his address virtually.
Will all these talks and visits help soothe ruffled feathers in the neighbourhood? After all, Neighbourhood First is an important thrust of Modi's foreign policy.
