{"id":27292,"date":"2024-08-09T18:14:26","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T12:44:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=27292"},"modified":"2024-08-10T12:06:21","modified_gmt":"2024-08-10T06:36:21","slug":"change-in-bangladesh-the-challenges-for-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/09-08-2024\/change-in-bangladesh-the-challenges-for-india","title":{"rendered":"Change in Bangladesh, the Challenges For India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Syllabus: GS2\/International Relation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • Recent crisis in Bangladesh could jeopardise its relations with India and affect growing trade ties, restricting the movement of people and goods, and stalling a potential free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    Background (India-Bangladesh Ties)<\/strong>
    – Beginning:<\/strong> India\u2019s relationship with Bangladesh is anchored in common history, heritage, culture and geographical proximity, the foundation of which was laid in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.<\/strong>
    – India provided critical military and material support to assist Bangladesh in its fight for independence from Pakistan.It became a primary factor in shaping the newly independent nation\u2019s policy, as acknowledged by \u2018Bangabandhu\u2019<\/strong> Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: \u2018Friendship with India is a cornerstone of the foreign policy of Bangladesh\u2019.<\/strong>
    – But There was a rise in anti-India sentiment in the mid-1970s over issues ranging from boundary disputes and insurgency to the sharing of water.
    – Back in February 2009<\/strong>, then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina faced a significant crisis within just two months of taking office.
    – The mutiny of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR)<\/strong>, a paramilitary force, resulted in a loss of lives and posed a direct threat to the newly elected government.
    – Fast forward to 2024, and we find Bangladesh facing a different set of challenges.
    – Sheikh Hasina, who has been a key ally to India since coming to power in 2009, has played a crucial role in fostering a healthy relationship between New Delhi and Dhaka.
    – During her tenure, efforts were made to eradicate anti-India terrorist groups that operated from safe havens in Bangladesh.
    – Additionally, economic, social, and cultural ties between the two countries flourished.
    – However, her recent resignation as Bangladesh\u2019s Prime Minister introduces uncertainties that could affect bilateral relations in several ways.
    Bilateral Trade<\/strong>
    – Significance:<\/strong> Bangladesh is India\u2019s largest trading partner in the subcontinent, while India ranks as Bangladesh\u2019s second-largest partner in Asia after China.
    – Trade Volume:<\/strong> In the financial year 2023-24, their total bilateral trade amounted to $13 billion.
    Exports and Imports:<\/strong>
    – Bangladesh is the biggest export destination for India\u2019s cotton, accounting for 34.9% of India\u2019s total cotton exports (some $2.4 billion in FY24). Other major Indian exports to Bangladesh are petroleum products and cereals.
    – India\u2019s top import from Bangladesh are readymade garments, amounting to $391 million in FY24.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Recent Developments<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n