In what is being seen as a big blow to China’s ongoing efforts to increase influence in India’s neighbourhood, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during a meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, offered India the use of the Chittagong port. In another message to Beijing, which is seeking to turn Bangladesh against India, Dhaka in no uncertain terms said that India and Bangladesh had a sweet bilateral relationship.
The use of the Chittagong port would be crucial for India as it would enable India to access South East Asia directly through its northeastern states. During the interaction with EAM Jaishankar, PM Hasina reiterated the commitment of her government to see that the ties between the two countries got stronger. Jaishankar also held detailed discussions on various bilateral issues with his Bangladesh counterpart, A.K. Abdul Momen in Dhaka on 28 April. “It is important that China has been given the message that its efforts to turn Bangladesh against India will not succeed,” a diplomat privy to the interactions in Dhaka told The Daily Guardian. Jaishankar extended an invitation to PM Sheikh Hasina to come to India by the end of this year on behalf of PM Narendra Modi. Sources said that the Bangladesh PM is likely to visit New Delhi in the month of July.
Highly-placed diplomatic sources said that some issues related to Chinese activities such as debt-trap diplomacy also figured during the talks between Jaishankar and Momen. However, none of the two did not make any reference to the same in public while addressing the media. “China’s move to grow its influence and expand its footprint in India’s neighbouring countries including Bangladesh was discussed,” a source said.
“Hasina’s offer to India to use the Chittagong port has come at a time when China is eyeing ports in Bangladesh with the sole motive to develop naval bases at strategic locations of the Indian Ocean Region,” an official said. “With this in view, the Hasina government’s move is a big blow to Chinese ambitions and a diplomatic victory to India,” he added.
Undeniably, China has been focusing on the Strait of Malacca, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Maldives and the Strait of Hormuz in order to foment trouble for India in marine areas in the Indian Ocean Region. Beijing has been trying to persuade Dhaka as well, so as to be able to gain control of its ports. As part of the same strategy, China took control over Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port and Pakistan’s Gwadar port.
Sources said that India has increased outreach to Bangladesh to foil China’s bid to trap Bangladesh as it did with Sri Lanka and Pakistan through the temptation of debts. New Delhi offered help to Dhaka in various areas so as not to allow Beijing to use any crisis to make inroads into Dhaka anymore. In December last year, India extended a $500 million line of credit to Bangladesh, under which Dhaka will soon import Indian defence equipment. “Such steps are bringing India and Bangladesh much closer,” said an official.
EAM Jaishankar has been diplomatically quite active as part of India’s “Neighbourhood First policy”. Jaishankar’s focus was on strengthening the country’s relations with its neighbour. He made a hurricane tour of Bangladesh and Bhutan. Importantly, China is keeping a close eye on both the countries.
His meetings with Hasina and Momen have been considered by Bangladesh as “extremely fruitful” and “very progressive”. Jaishankar’s visit to Bangladesh was highly appreciated by the Bangladesh government as the Modi government decided to celebrate the 50 years of birth of Bangladesh as a new nation and the centenary year of Mujibur Rahaman, the father of the nation. The Bangladesh government particularly appreciated that PM Modi visited Bangladesh amid the Covid pandemic.
“Both the Foreign Ministers noted that 2021 was a landmark year for the Bangladesh-India relationship as the President and Prime Minister of India visited Bangladesh in a single year and both the countries celebrated the 50th year of diplomatic ties through the joint celebration of several landmark events across the world,” said the foreign ministry of Bangladesh in a statement.
“(Held) Positive discussions with Bangladesh FM Dr A.K. Abdul Momen. Agreed that our close neighbourly partnership is progressing steadily. Our shared endeavour would be to take it forward. Looking forward to hosting him for the Joint Consultative Commission,” said EAM Jaishankar after a round of conversations with his counterpart FM Momen.
“The Foreign Minister of Bangladesh recalled that the two countries had resolved many of the outstanding issues in the spirit of friendship and cooperation and expressed hope that all outstanding issues including the early signing of the Teesta Water Sharing Treaty (TWST) may be concluded at an early date,” said the foreign ministry of Bangladesh. Momen also asked Jaishankar for his support in the “repatriation of Rohingyas who are forcibly displaced from Myanmar”.