Dhaka, July 30 (IANS) India and Bangladesh stand at a critical crossroads, with the decisions taken now likely to define their relationship for years to come, a report has stated.
The recent diplomatic exchanges between New Delhi and Dhaka have created an opportunity to reset the tone of bilateral ties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public congratulations and telephone conversation with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman following the General Election this year, coupled with his invitation to Rahman to attend the BRICS Summit to be held in New Delhi in September, go beyond routine diplomatic protocol and offer both governments a genuine chance to turn the page, according to a report in Bangladesh’s newspaper, Daily Sun
The report noted that very few neighbouring countries enjoy a foundation of trust as deep as that shared between India and Bangladesh.
“They are tied together by geography, by rivers that completely ignore political boundaries, by shared literature, and by families torn apart by partition yet still bound by memory. They share centuries of commerce and culture that go back long before modern nation-states were ever drawn on a map. Above all else, they are connected by 1971,” it mentioned.
According to the report, the strongest relationships between neighbouring countries are not built on agreement over every issue, but on mutual respect, trust, and the ability to look beyond immediate “political noise”.
“None of this is to pretend that tough issues do not exist. Water sharing, border management, trade imbalances, connectivity, and a fiercely competitive geopolitical backyard are going to test the relationship between Bangladesh and India again and again. Mature neighbours are not defined by having zero problems; they are defined by how calmly and confidently they manage them,” it added.
Emphasising that India and Bangladesh have one of those “rare diplomatic windows” to reset ties, the report said the two countries have an opportunity not to rewrite history, but to write the next chapter together.
“It does not call for empty sentimentality and surrender. It just calls for confidence in sovereignty, democratic legitimacy, and the simple belief that two neighbours can respect each other without needing to march in lockstep,” it stressed.
Meanwhile, India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, has expressed confidence that bilateral ties would move forward constructively once Prime Minister Rahman visits India, saying all issues between the two countries can be resolved, local media reported.
Addressing reporters following separate meetings with Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka, Trivedi described the discussions as positive.
“I am looking forward to everything positively. We had a great meeting filled with immense positivity,” Bangladeshi media outlet UNB quoted Trivedi as saying.
When asked about the invitations extended to Rahman to visit India, Trivedi said the decision rests with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister.
“From our end, I can assure you that we are looking forward to welcoming the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India. We are very hopeful that this visit will take place in the near future,” he said.
–IANS
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