Indo-Bangladeshi relations
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| India | Bangladesh |
Indo-Bangladeshi relations are the ties between India and Bangladesh. Both states are part of the Indian subcontinent and have had a long common cultural, economic and political history. The people of the two countries are indistinguishable to most outsiders. The cultures of the two countries are similar; in particular India's West Bengal state and Bangladesh are both Bengali speaking.
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[edit] Historical background
During the Partition of India after independence in 1947, the Bengal region was divided into two: East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh) and West Bengal. East Bengal was made a part of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan due to the fact that both regions had an overwhelmingly large Muslim population, more than 85%. In 1955, the government of Pakistan changed its name from East Bengal to East Pakistan.
There were some confrontations between the two regions though. Firstly, in 1948, Jinnah declared that only Urdu would the official language of the entire nation, though more than 95% of the East Bengali population spoke Bengali. And when protests broke out in Bangladesh on February 21, 1952, Pakistani police fired on the protesters, killing hundreds. Secondly, East Bengal/East Pakistan was allotted only a small amount of revenue for its development out of the Pakistani national budget. Therefore, a separatist movement started to grow in the isolated province. When the main separatist party the Awami League, headed by Mujibur Rehman, won 167 of 169 seats up for grabs in the 1970 elections and got the right to form the government, the Pakistan president under Yahya Khan refused to recognize the election results and arrested Rehman. This led to widespread protests in East Pakistan and in 1971, the Liberation War in the self-declared state of Bangladesh started.
India under Indira Gandhi fully supported the cause of the Bangladeshis and its troops and equipment were used to fight the Pakistani forces. It also gave full support to the main Bangladeshi guerilla force, the Mukti Bahini. Finally, on 26 March, 1971, Bangladesh emerged as an independent state. Since then, there have been several issues of agreement as well as of dispute.
[edit] Areas of Agreement
1. India played a central role in the independence of Bangladesh. 19,000 Indian soldiers died for the cause of an independent Bangladesh. India sheltered over 2 million refugees who were fleeing the atrocities of the occupying West Pakistan Army. India and its ally Bhutan were the first countries to recognize Bangladesh as an independent nation. Bangladeshis have some awareness of their obligation and gratitude towards India.
2. Bangladesh was faced with an economic crisis after independence. Its population was the 8th largest in the world at the time. India gave large amounts of aid to Bangladesh. In recent years India provides co-operation and assistance during annual natural calamities. India is a supplier of staple foods such as rice and live animals which helps keep their prices affordable for the masses of Bangladesh.
3. Mujibur Rehman’s first foreign visit as PM was to India and it was then decided Indo-Bangladesh relations would be guided by principles of democracy, socialism, nonalignment and opposition to colonialism and racism. Indira Gandhi too visited Bangladesh in 1972 and assured that India would never interfere in the internal affairs of the country.
4. In 1972, both the countries signed a ‘Treaty of Friendship and Peace’. An Indo-Bangladesh Trade Pact was also signed.
5. The main opposition Awami League is generally considered to be friendly towards India.
6. Moderate Bangladeshis and those who are strong Bengali nationalists, including some artists, activits and students have a friendly disposition towards India. Bangladeshi Hindus and Buddhists have an attachment towards India which gave birth of their religions.
[edit] Areas of Contention
1. A major bone of contention has been the construction of the Farakkha Barrage by India to increase water supply in the river Hoogly. Bangladesh insists that it does not receive a fair share of the Ganga waters, and on the other hand, it gets flooded in the monsoons when India releases excess.
2. There have also been disputes regarding the transfer of Teen Bigha Corridor to Bangladesh. There is some area of Bangladesh in West Bengal which is surrounded by India. This area is very near to Bangladesh and thus India leased three bigha land to Bangladesh to connect this land with mainland Bangladesh. There is dispute regarding this. However, this Corridor was formally transferred to Bangladesh on 26 June, 1992.
[edit] See also
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