Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Bangladesh’s Agriculture Minister and Awami League presidium member, spoke with Rudroneel Ghosh about the significance of Prime Minister Hasina’s visit to India. The minister told these in an interview with an Indian daily.
How would you categorisePM Hasina’s visit to India this time?
We consider that the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India is taking place at a very opportune time to deepen existing relations between two neighboring countries in South Asia, enjoying more than half-a-century bond of friendship anchored in India’s all-out support and material assistance in our Liberation War in 1971. Against this rich background of bilateral relations, the visit is also important in the context of prevailing challenges in regional and global politics for the leadership of both countries to sort out responses to these challenges that best serve mutual interests.
How would you describe the state of the bilateral relationship at this point?
From our view, the state of bilateral relations has reached an all-time high. These relations got a boost with the coming to office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India, and PM Hasina’s foresight to exploit the potential of opportunities that benefit both countries.
Hasn’t the bilateral water-sharing issue been a sticking point in ties?
We agree irritants continue to exist on the bilateral water-sharing issue. But we believe given the political will to accommodate each other’s vital interests, there are opportunities to solve these issues. We optimistically look forward to addressing the constraints by the government of India that hinder reaching an agreement on sharing of the water of Teesta river.
Radicalism continues to be a problem. How can this be tackled in the India-Bangladesh context?
Yes, we agree tackling radicalism, the expression of intolerance and extreme position, is an important contemporary challenge in India-Bangladesh relations. Given the shared history and cultural heritage of the subcontinent, any unfortunate event happening in one country has its ramifications in the other country. Communal violence, which often breaks out, poses significant challenges for both countries. The government of Bangladesh is committed to safeguarding communal harmony in Bangladesh at any cost. In terms of bolstering regional security, Bangladesh has taken effective measures to suppress activities that may pose a threat to India’s North East.
We consider that the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India is
taking place at a very opportune time to
deepen existing relations between two neighboring
countries in South Asia, enjoying more than half-a-century
bond of friendship anchored in India’s all-out support
and material assistance in our Liberation War in 1971
Both countries have in place mechanisms for sharing intelligence and cooperation between law-enforcing agencies to tackle radicalism.
How sound is the Bangladeshi economy today?
The fundamentals of Bangladesh’s economy at present are sound. We have comfortable levels of foreign exchange reserves that give us the ability to navigate existing as well as foreseeable challenges facing the economy. The economy is enjoying healthy growth over the past years, forex reserves are growing. The
government can finance imports of necessary goods as well as service loans. Bangladesh is not alone in approaching the IMF for assistance. It has done so to finance its development needs. The ongoing war in Europe has disrupted global supply chains for energy, food and vital agricultural inputs such as fertiliser. Its impact is also being felt
in South Asia. The government of Bangladesh has taken urgent measures to stabilise domestic food production and ensure reliable energy supply. It is also looking forward to working with India to search for additional measures to remove emerging constraints in energy supply.
How is Bangladesh navigating the strategic rivalry of big powers?
The cornerstone of Bangladesh’s foreign policy is friendship to all and malice to none. This policy is tailored to maintaining the external environment in regional and global contexts as muchfavorably as possible to support the country’s economic development. While accommodating concerns and sensitivities of our partners, Bangladesh will never build relations with any party at the expense of the other. Bangladesh has no interest in poking its nose in irritants between India and China, because it believes both countries are well-positioned to sort out any issues between them.
What is the future of the Rohingya refugee issue?
Our position on the future of the Rohingya refugees is well-known. We want them to return to their own country as soon as possible. To that end, we seek support from India as well as the international community to nudge the government of Myanmar to take necessary steps to create enabling conditions for the refugeesto return. Bangladesh has approached limits in its ability to provide hospitality to Rohingya refugees. It is a significant burden on the country’s own development needs. The presence of Rohingya refugees on Bangladesh soil indefinitely poses a significant security challenge for the country, which we can’t ignore.
How can India-Bangladesh cooperation be strengthened further?
When it comes to exploring opportunities for strengthening India-Bangladesh cooperation, the potential is immense. Trade and transit, improving regional connectivity,
science and technology, art and culture,counter¬terrorism and. peace building are some of the areas where both countries can work together for mutual benefit.
