Indian initiative needed to settle issues with Bangladesh

The Bangladesh national election on 29 December saw a stunning landslide win by the Awami League (AL)-led grand alliance...

The Bangladesh national election on 29 December saw a stunning landslide win by the Awami League (AL)-led grand alliance. It was a fitting reply by an overwhelming majority of people to five years of misrule by the four-party government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) from 2001 to 2006.
Some of the reasons that have led to the humiliating defeat of BNP-led alliance deserve mention. These include corruption by BNP stalwarts, institution of a culture of impunity for party men, criminalization of politics and neglect in combating Islamic extremism in the country.
The first-time voters (18 years old) constituted 33 per cent of total more than 81 million voters and overwhelmingly a majority of young voters have rejected candidates for four party BNP-led alliance.
They voted for AL because of its secular, non-communal image and its support to the 1971 liberation ethos and Bengali nationalism.
The fundamental difference between the two parties can be enunciated by a comparison between the AL's 23-point manifesto with the 35-point manifesto of BNP. First, AL's manifesto provides a vision for the country for 2021 and deals with some contemporary burning issues while BNP's manifesto enumerates primarily micro issues.
Second, BNP's manifesto criticizes the caretaker government while AL's manifesto does not and describes the rule of the caretaker government "with various limitations, weaknesses, lapses as well as some successes."
The third and most important difference appears to be the way the two parties end their manifestos. AL concludes with three slogans-"Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu and Long Live Bangladesh," while BNP ends its manifesto with "Let Allah provide strength to serve the country for benefit of people, Allah Hafez, Bangladesh Zindabad, and BNP Zindabad."
If one analyzes the slogans, it appears that AL's slogans are primarily based on the pro-liberation spirit and separation of religion from politics, while BNP's slogans are Islam-based, attempt to emphasize the link between religion and politics and uses non-Bangla words such as "Zindabad," a relic of Pakistan days.
Most of the veteran AL leaders had worked hand in hand with Indian leaders during the 1971 liberation struggle against Pakistani armed forces. The friendly feelings on both sides may again resurface between the two countries. AL is committed to secularism and non-communal Bangladesh and the majority of non-Muslims in the country support AL. Indian leaders too may be comfortable with this AL's ideological stance and its attitude towards non-Muslims.
During rule of AL in 1996-2001, two landmark agreements were concluded. One was the 1996 Ganges Water Treaty with India for 30 years and with the support of India, Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Agreement with tribal representatives in 1997. AL believes in interactive relations with India in all sectors. Both countries need each other for their mutual interests.
However, the state of friendly relations cannot continue if key bilateral issues between the countries are not resolved peacefully and equitably. The pending issues among others that require urgent attention are the maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal, implementation of the 1974 Indo-Bangladesh Land Border Agreement, sharing of waters of all common rivers and the reduction of the trade deficit with India.
India, being the largest neighbor and endowed with massive resources needs to take initiative to settle these issues with sensitivity and common sense.
Although there is a small group of anti-India elements in the country, no one can deny that there is also a tremendous goodwill in Bangladesh for people in India and that India has failed to utilize this goodwill. Economic and political issues are interrelated.
The trade off or balancing of costs and benefits on two fronts does not admit of a very neat solution. As an emerging regional power, India has the responsibility to understand and respect the sensitivity of a small neighbor such as Bangladesh.
There is no adequate reason why relations cannot be friendly between the two neighbors and the time has come now for Indian leaders to reinvigorate their relations with the newly elected government in Bangladesh led by Sheikh Hasina.
The writer is former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva