Amid concerns in Dhaka about the potential fallout of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and a possible all-India National Register of Citizens (NRC), and the cancellation of the fourth high-level visit from Bangladesh to New Delhi in three months, India on Monday sought to reassure Bangladesh these are internal matters with no implications for the neighbouring country.
The assurance, given by foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on his maiden visit to Bangladesh after taking office, marks an important step in what will be an important month for bilateral ties. Shringla is in Dhaka to prepare the ground for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh on March 17, where the PM will deliver the keynote address at the opening of celebrations marking the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of current PM Sheikh Hasina.
Besides the government’s diplomatic outreach, which is based on both rewinding to historical links and current shared concerns, this month will witness an admittedly unrelated, but crucial, bipartisan message from India about the importance of ties with Bangladesh.
Dhaka has invited former president Pranab Mukherjee to address a special session of the Bangladesh Parliament on March 22, and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to attend the beginning of the 50th Independence Day celebrations on March 26.
The Bangla-speaking former president has deep ties with the entire political spectrum in Bangladesh and is a widely respected figure. Hasina also shares close links with the Nehru-Gandhi family, going back to Indira Gandhi’s support for her party, the Awami League, and the war of liberation in Bangladesh in 1971.
Whether Mukherjee or Gandhi would indeed visit could not be confirmed. But the current churn in the relationship is primarily due to the controversial citizenship law, the NRC process in Assam, and the possibility of a nationwide NRC, which the government has clarified is not on the agenda yet.
Hasina has raised the NRC and citizenship issues with her Indian counterpart twice after senior BJP leaders spoke about deporting all people not included in the register in Assam. Hasina has also questioned the need for India’s CAA, which has sparked disquiet in Bangladesh.
Foreign secretary Shringla addressed these issues during a speech at the think tank Bangladesh Institute for International Studies (BIIS), attended by diplomats, academics and Gawher Rizvi, international affairs adviser to Hasina. Shringla cited the Supreme Court-mandated updating of the NRC in Assam and said it was “inevitable that events in each other’s countries create ripples across the border — irrespective of whether there is real justification”.
He said: “Let me clearly state here what our leadership has repeatedly confirmed at the highest level to the government of Bangladesh: this is a process that is entirely internal to India. Therefore there will be no implications for the government and people of Bangladesh. You have our assurance on that count.” Shringla’s comments came close on the heels of the cancellation at the last minute of a visit to New Delhi by a Bangladeshi parliamentary delegation led by Speaker Shirin Chaudhury. The announcement was made late on Sunday, hours before the delegation was to leave for India.
Reports have linked the cancellation of at least four high-level Bangladeshi visits, including that of the Speaker, to the controversy around the citizenship law. A statement issued by Bangladesh Parliament secretariat on Sunday night, however, attributed the cancellation of the Speaker’s visit to her involvement in preparations for the birth centenary of Mujibur Rahman.
Writing in The Daily Star newspaper, columnist Tasneem Tayeb said the Indian government must now demonstrate strong political will to root out factors creating rifts among the people and steer the economy back on a growth trajectory.
Shringla also addressed what he described as “uninformed speculation” about New Delhi’s position on the Rohingya refugee crisis. India, he said, appreciates Bangladesh’s decision to offer shelter to nearly one million displaced people and will work for the speedy repatriation of the Rohingya.
“As the only country that is an actual neighbour of both Bangladesh and Myanmar, we are committed to offering the fullest support for any mutually acceptable solution that will enable the earliest possible return of displaced persons to their homes in Rakhine State and to a life of dignity.” Shringla noted India is ready to provide more assistance following the five tranches of aid to relief camps through the Bangladesh government, and is investing in the socio-economic development of Rakhine.
There is “no difference between India and Bangladesh” in addressing the humanitarian problem and New Delhi encourages stakeholders to lower the rhetoric and find practical and pragmatic solutions, he added. India is looking forward to Modi’s visit to Bangladesh later this month “because of the priority the Prime Minister attaches to this relationship” and since Mujibur Rahman is equally revered in India, Shringla said.
In an apparent bid to counter criticism in Dhaka of Prime Minister Hasina’s efforts to forge stronger ties with New Delhi, Shringla said India will “always seek the closest possible ties with Bangladesh”.
In an acknowledgement of Dhaka’s concerns, Shringla also said both sides “could and should do much more [for] the management of our shared river waters”.
