Amid China’s rapid inroads in Bangladesh, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reaffirmed India’s support for deeper development and economic partnership with Dhaka.
In talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Masud Bin Momen, Kwatra reviewed the pace of development projects being aided and supported by India, sources told The Daily Guardian. “India’s focus on expanding economic and development ties with Bangladesh should be seen in the context of Beijing’s increased outreach to Dhaka recently in a bid to grow influence in the region,” sources said.
Last month, several Chinese officials and diplomats held a meeting with PM Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen in a bid to give fillip to Beijing’s projects in the country. In what was seen as a significant development, newly-appointed Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang stopped over at Dhaka to meet his Bangladeshi counterpart at the airport. This was his first-ever visit abroad as foreign minister. Needless to say, Bangladesh is on the radar of global geopolitics, with China accelerating efforts to expand its footprint in the country. “Kwatra’s visit to Dhaka acquires importance in this context as well, even though he was there for the foreign office consultation,” sources said. The Indian top diplomat worked on the strategy to ensure that Bangladesh does not fall into the trap of any Chinese plot, sources said. Kwatra undertook back to back visits to Nepal and Bangladesh this week in what indicates India’s strategy to counter China in the region.
FS Kwatra focused on furthering partnership in water, trade and investment, power, defence and connectivity, sources said. All these sectors are something where China is keeping its eye on. The Chinese government is well aware that Bangladesh is keen on expanding its infrastructure, for which the country is not getting sufficient funds from other partners. As a result, Bangladesh’s dependence on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) increased manifold. “China is looking to exploit the situation to increase its footprint, and India is not ignorant of what Beijing is planning,” sources told TDG. Therefore, India has stepped up engagement with both Nepal and Bangladesh to counter the Chinese agenda, they added.
During his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the FS conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greetings to her. Notably, Kwatra is on an official visit to Bangladesh from February 15-16 to review the bilateral partnership between the two countries, which ranges from security to power and energy, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Earlier in the day, Vinay Kwatra met his Bangladesh counterpart Masud Bin Momen and reviewed the bilateral ties between the two nations. The MEA in a press release noted, “The visit to Bangladesh is keeping in line with the highest priority accorded to India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ Policy. Bangladesh is India’s top-most development partner and its largest trade partner in the region. Foreign Secretary’s upcoming visit will further strengthen bilateral ties and impart momentum to ongoing cooperation in diverse areas.”