Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a great friend of India and in the recent days, the Bangladesh government has been actively cooperating with India in tracking down the militants of the north eastern region of India who earlier took shelter in different parts of Bangladesh. The earlier regime of Khaleda Zia gave tacit encouragement to such anti-India elements and during that period, there was a spurt in anti-Indian activities from the Bangladesh side. The fundamentalist forces also got strengthened during the BNP rule and that was a reason for big worry for New Delhi.

The situation in Bangladesh is quite friendly now and the Awami League Government is cooperating with India in a number of areas to stop the entry of the anti- India elements into the country through border areas. Some known anti-Indian elements who earlier operated from the sanctuaries in Bangladesh, have been detained and handed over to the Indian authorities. Steps are being taken to hand over a known ULFA activist Anup Chetia to the Indian officials. There is less anti- Indian activities by the fundamentalists in Bangladesh now and the Indian Government is happy with the developments in its neighbouring country at a time when there are areas of tensions related to its two other neighbours Pakistan and China.

Bangladesh Government officials feel that India is not reciprocating properly in giving its smaller neighbour the trade facilities which will facilitate the growth of Bangladesh trade and industry. Further, in respect of Teesta waters and other river pacts, India has not moved fast to implement the understanding which was earlier arrived. Indian Government, it is learnt, has taken due note of this resentment in Bangladesh and during the visit, Dr. Singh will sort out most of the problems which have been plaguing the India-Bangladesh relations till now and India will give a big push to take the bilateral relations to a new high.

Ahead of the visit of the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P. Chidambaram will be inaugurating a Rs. 174 crore integrated border checkpost at India-Bangladesh border at Petrapole to help simplify border trade, road tax, immigration and movement of trucks between the two countries. India wants that the border trade should be smooth and the volume should go up at a faster pace in the coming days.

As of now, the trade balance between India and Bangladesh heavily tilts towards India. India exported goods worth$ 2.43 billion to Bangladesh in 2009-10 while imported goods worth only $ 254.66 million during the same period. This is a factor of resentment in Bangladesh as there is a feeling that India is in a position to import many more items from Bangladesh which India is not doing. Bangladesh officials have been talking with Indian authorities for the last two years for getting duty free access to a number of its products. Also, there is a demand from India for lifting the export quota for ready made garments. India is now taking a favourable view of the Bangladesh demands and the Prime Minister is expected to make some major announcement on trade and tariff concessions to facilitate the imports of Bangladesh goods into India.

There is a major political reason for showing friendly gesture to Bangladesh this time. China has made deep inroads into the various areas of the Bangladesh economy and China has also started participating in the construction of port facilities at Chittagong. India, through its inactivity for a long period, has allowed China to make its presence felt in many key areas of Bangladesh. While there is nothing wrong in expanding areas of economic collaboration, India is apprehensive that increasing Chinese influence might go against India’s interests and all efforts have to be made to satisfy the demands of the Bangladesh government so that it can depend on India for all assistance in its economic development. India is therefore very eager this time to solve some of the perennial problems that have been pending for quite some time. (IPA)