Sheikh Hasina to Visit India: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh is scheduled to pay a state visit to India on June 21–22, 2024, at an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This visit is quite important since it is the first bilateral state visit following the 18th Lok Sabha elections, thus signifying the beginning of the Indian government. The visit of Prime Minister Hasina is expected to strengthen the close ties between the two adjacent nations and handle certain important bilateral concerns.
Prime Minister Hasina will visit with Prime Minister Modi in bilateral deliberations; she will also meet with President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and get a call from the Indian External Affairs Minister. According to Financial Express, June 22 at Hyderabad House is the main meeting set for the two prime ministers.
This visit’s timing is especially important since it comes before Prime Minister Hasina’s official July trip to China. She met Prime Minister Modi personally during her presence at his oath-taking ceremony on June 9, inviting him to travel to Dhaka later this year.
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The agenda for the next meetings includes several important concerns. Among them, most importantly, is the long-standing Teesta River water-sharing agreement between the two countries. Set to run out in 2026, both sides also want to extend the Ganges River water-sharing deal. The creation of a new system to lower border deaths, a recurring problem influencing bilateral relations, raises yet another major challenge.
Bangladesh is keen to start quick negotiations on these issues; the Joint River Commission is likely to start talks shortly. Particularly, the Teesta River has been a hot topic of debate since China’s desire to finance the basin development project complicates the negotiations. Bangladesh has placed the project on hold since India has misgivings about China’s engagement. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said during a recent visit to Dhaka that India is ready to help in the management of the Teesta River basin, perhaps resulting in joint dredging projects to boost water flow.
Strategic Importance
Both countries find strategic importance in this visit. Senior journalist and Bangladesh critic Gautam Lahiri claims India was eager to welcome Prime Minister Hasina before her trip to China to guarantee alignment on important topics and prevent any diplomatic conflict. The leader of Bangladesh also strives to keep close relationships with India, her most reliable neighbour.
Over the past few years, India and Bangladesh have seen a rise in their strategic connections; cooperation spans security, trade, business, energy, connectivity, science and technology, defense, and maritime affairs. With talks probably on the quick execution of the $500 million Line of Credit (LOC) on defense and the possibility for cooperative military exercises, the visit seeks to strengthen these connections even more.
Cooperation on Infrastructure and Economic Policies
Recent reports from Financial Express.com indicate that infrastructure development and economic cooperation are also predicted to be hot subjects. Like its involvement in the Chabahar Port in Iran, India is eager to forward a new bilateral economic collaboration seeking a larger role in the Mongolla seaport. Apart from extending the “Sagar” project to improve marine cooperation in the Indian Ocean area, a new sea route connecting to the Indo-Pacific is under discussion.
Representatives from important Indian Ocean archipelago countries, including Mauritius, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, attended the recent oath-taking event in Delhi. Discussing regional cooperation, Prime Minister Hasina also visited with the President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of Bhutan. Bangladesh wants to purchase more hydropower from Bhutan, so it needs India’s permission to move the electricity over the Indian Territory.
Further talks on opening the second Rampal Moitree power plant and starting the Feni Moitree Bridge for public transportation are expected. Both initiatives stand for the growing ties between the two countries. September this year marks the start of passenger travel across Maitri Setu, a bridge linking India and Bangladesh in the south Tripura state.
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Future Outlook
Prime Minister Modi and Hasina’s bilateral discussions should improve India-Bangladesh ties to unprecedented levels. Under its “Neighbourhood First” approach, Bangladesh is a vital ally for India; the cooperation covers many spheres. With about one-fourth of New Delhi’s Line of Credit channelled towards Bangladesh, the country is India’s main development partner. India is the second-largest trading partner of Bangladesh in Asia, while Bangladesh is its main trading partner in South Asia.
With Bangladesh sending around USD 2 billion worth of commodities to India, the two countries declared total bilateral trade in 2022–23 to be USD 15.9 billion. There is hope for even further deepening of these strong economic and strategic relations as the two nations get ready for Prime Minister Hasina’s visit, therefore facilitating more regional stability and growth.
