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‘SAARC trust deficit must go’

Born at Sylhet in 1944, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali obtained his Master’s Degree in Science from…

‘SAARC trust deficit must go’

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali (Photo: Facebook)

Born at Sylhet in 1944, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali obtained his Master’s Degree in Science from Dhaka University in 1966. He is a former Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh. He regularly contributes articles on South Asian and international issues to various newspapers and journals.

In this interview to Sarah Berry and Ashok Tuteja, he speaks about India-Bangladesh relations in the backdrop of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in April and the situation in South Asia.

Excerpts:

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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina concluded a visit to India in April. What do you think were the successes of her visit?

The visit was a grand success and Prime Ministers Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi have taken our bilateral ties to a new level which is well beyond the “strategic partnership”. The 11 agreements and 24 MoUs signed during the visit virtually encompass every important sector in our bilateral cooperation namely security, trade, connectivity, energy, civil nuclear agreement, defence and introduction of new bus and train services.

The visit was also high on the optics. The fact that Premier Modi broke protocol and received our Prime Minister at the airport and was present at “Sommanona” (to honour the Indian martyrs of Bangladesh Liberation War) and other events and the (then) Hon’ble President Pranab Mukherjee’s invitation to our Prime Minister to stay at Rashtrapati Bhavan and the former hosting a banquet in her honour clearly underscored the very special relationship which exists between our two countries. In addition, a prominent road in New Delhi has been renamed after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation.

Our private sectors also made their valuable inputs when they signed MoUs for the investment to the tune of $13 billion, primarily in the energy sector. In a nutshell, the visit was a grand success.

Is Bangladesh disappointed that the Teesta water sharing accord did not fructify during Sheikh Hasina’s visit? By when do you see the accord materialising?

Surely, we were disappointed to note that the long pending Teesta water sharing deal was not signed during the visit. As you know, in a riverine country like Bangladesh, our people wholly depend on our rivers for our agriculture, communication and all aspects of our life. Rivers are virtually our life blood and naturally, water sharing is a highly emotive issue.

After protracted negotiations, the Teesta water sharing issue was resolved and an agreement was finalised in 2011, when the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited Dhaka. But it was not signed at the last minute due to objection raised by the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Since then we have been in constant touch with the Union Governmen and they, in turn, have been in touch with concerned state governments.

As regards the second aspect of your question, yes, we are encouraged by Prime Minister Modi’s categorical assertion during the visit that the issue would be resolved during the tenure of our two Prime Ministers. I would like to underscore that the early resolution of Teesta water sharing issue would have salutary effects on all aspects of our bilateral relations.

What are the proposals West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had given to Sheikh Hasina for resolving the stalemate over the Teesta issue?

The West Bengal Chief Minister, as an alternative, had proposed study on Torsa, Jaldhaka, Raidak and Aatreyi which are actually tributaries to the Teesta. These issues have already been deliberated at our Joint River Commission (JRC) before finalising the Teesta water sharing Agreement in 2011 and, if felt necessary by both sides, the JRC could study them.

India had announced a credit line of $500 million to Bangladesh for purchasing defence equipment. Is it only for purchasing military equipment from India or Bangladesh can buy defence material from any country?

There are ongoing defence cooperations between the two countries, but for the first time, we are trying to include defence purchase from India. India has extended a fresh LOC to the tune of $5 billion which includes $500 million for defence purchase. Bangladesh will utilise this credit for the projects that she needs on a priority basis. Likewise, she will utilise the defence credit on the purchase of defence materials from India on the basis of our needs and priorities.

How do you look at the security situation in South Asia, given the fact that Pakistan has emerged as the biggest supporter and promoter of terrorism in the region?

In today’s world security is a major concern and we in South Asia also face major challenges. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since her assumption of power in 2009, has steadfastly maintained the principle of ‘Zero Tolerance’ to all forms of terrorism ~ both state sponsored and individual. And in line with her commitment, she has taken concrete steps to improve the security climate. She has firmly controlled the situation and did not allow any terrorist activities, or any terrorist group, to use Bangladesh soil to launch any attack against India or any other neighbouring country.

Whenever any country tried to interfere in our internal affairs or tried to take part in any terrorist activities, we have strongly opposed it and we will continue to do so in future. On the question of terrorism, our position is firm and unequivocal.

Why do you think SAARC has failed to make much headway unlike other regional groupings like ASEAN or European Union (EU)?

It is not fair to compare one regional organisation with another as their objective conditions and goals are different. In our South Asian region we are beset with numerous problems. Prominent among them are trust deficit among the member countries, burdens of history, lack of development, lack of infrastructure, poverty, inequality etc. This is evident from the fact that five out of eight SAARC members are least developed countries.

So far SAARC may not have made any spectacular progress in hardcore economic areas, but it has made significant progress in the areas of disaster management, cooperative and rural development, health, education, tele-communication and other functional cooperation areas. We hope, with greater political will and mutual trust and confidence, we will be able to make progress in hard core areas in the future. The need of the hour is patience and perseverance.

Do you think the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between India and Bangladesh can become the template for resolving such disputes in the region?

Yes, of course. Prime Minister Modi, true to his commitment, has demonstrated how a long-standing complex bilateral issue could be resolved unanimously through consultation, compassion, and consensus-building. Successful conclusion of the LBA has definitely set a good example for the resolution of territorial disputes in our region and beyond. Sixty eight years after the partition of 1947, and forty-one years after the conclusion of the Indira-Mujib Border Accord of 1974, the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between our two countries has been fully implemented.

The successful conclusion of the LBA also signaled fulfillment of the vision of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who had taken the initiative in this regard soon after our independence.

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