India’s former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has stressed the importance of growing Bangladesh-India bilateral relations in light of Bangladesh’s remarkable growth.
Reaffirming India’s support to Bangladesh, Shringla said that India always stands by a strong, stable, peaceful and prosperous Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh’s development is India’s development, Bangladesh’s growth is India’s growth,” he said while taking part in a discussion as a panelist at an event in New Delhi on Thursday.
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Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi organized the event to unveil the book titled ‘Bangladesh: From Basket Case to Asian Tiger’ written by Samuel Richard.
The book highlights the remarkable success and development progress of Bangladesh achieved in various sectors during the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Speaking at the event, Shringla expressed hope that the two countries will continue the unique partnership to reap the benefits mutually as this should not be a one-way traffic.
Professor of Research and Information Systems for Developing Countries (RIS) Prabir De coined connectivity as one of the key components of strong Bangladesh-India ties.
Panelist Prof Dheeraj Sharma, director of Indian Institute of Management said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s dynamic leadership as the main catalyst behind Bangladesh’s recent remarkable success.
In his closing remarks, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India Md Mustafizur Rahman shed light on various groundbreaking achievements of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, including Bangladesh’s progressive economy, education, information technology, health, women’s empowerment and infrastructural development.
He also expressed gratitude to the government and people of India for being a contributing partner in the ongoing development of Bangladesh.
India’s stance on Bangladesh’s upcoming elections
India recently unequivocally extended its support towards the democratic advancement in Bangladesh during a high-level ‘2+2’ Ministerial Dialogue with the United States.
During a press briefing following the dialogue, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said, “We as a close friend and partner of Bangladesh, respect the democratic processes in Bangladesh and will continue to support the country’s vision of a stable, peaceful and progressive nation, that the people of that country seek for themselves”.
He also labeled Bangladesh’s upcoming elections as an internal matter.
“Regarding the elections in Bangladesh… it is their internal matter and it is for the people of Bangladesh to decide their future,” Kwatra added.
This demonstrates India’s honor for Bangladesh’s sovereignty, and it reflects the attitude of a friendly ally rather than an external influencer.
India-Bangladesh Relations
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently said that the Dhaka-Delhi relationship now “stands out as a model”.
Bangladesh and India have made remarkable strides in enriching mutual ties, particularly in areas like security, communication, and development assistance over the past decade. The progress has been steady and moving forward. Currently, India is involved in 46 ongoing projects with Bangladesh as a development partner, complemented by 64 smaller investments.
The future holds promising prospects for both countries, guided by the principles of democracy and a shared commitment to innovation, green energy, and technology. With India’s dedication to the stability of Bangladesh and the deep-rooted friendship between these two nations, their collaboration is set to create a bright future for the region and beyond.
