Indian Foreign Policy in Transition by Arijit Mazumdar

Author:Arijit Mazumdar [Mazumdar, Arijit]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Ethnic Studies, General, Regional Studies
ISBN: 9781317698586
Google: hHVeBAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2014-08-27T05:01:00+00:00

Summary and conclusion

Bangladesh’s relations with India have been primarily shaped by its domestic political situation. Upswings and downswings in relations may be attributed to the nature of the government in power in Bangladesh. Soon after Mujib became the prime minister of Bangladesh in 1972, he signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation with India. The treaty was meant to secure India’s interests in Bangladesh and lay the framework for an enduring relationship. The Awami League and the Congress Party of India enjoyed close fraternal ties. There were ideological commonalities with regard to principles like secularism, socialism and democracy. However, with the death of Mujib and the dominant role played by the military, changed the nature of relationship between the two countries.

The breakdown in relations after Mujib’s assassination proved hard to arrest. In terms of realist international theory, India’s actions during the Cold War could be explained by its desire to exercise influence over its immediate neighborhood, while Bangladesh’s actions could be explained by its desire to balance India’s predominance. When the military finally withdrew from politics in the early-1990s, there was an opportunity to reorient ties between the two countries. However, the prospects of improvement in bilateral relations were dashed when the BNP won the elections. The BNP shared the previous military-backed government’s fears and suspicions about India. The BNP was also aligned with Islamist political parties, which did not favor strong ties with India. Consequently, there was very little progress made in addressing the bilateral disputes.

In contrast, when the Awami League came to power in 1996, India and Bangladesh were able to make progress on the issue of water sharing and management. The two countries were able to sign an agreement with regard to the sharing of the Ganges waters (Farakka Barrage). India has found it easier to deal with the Awami League Some analysts perceive the Awami League to be pro-India and the BNP to be anti-India. Bitter rivalry characterizes the relationship between the two major political parties in Bangladesh. The majoritarian nature of political institutions in Bangladesh has turned politics into a zero-sum game between the two political parties. Personal animosity between Hasina and Khaleda Zia, has also contributed to the problem. There is a lack of consensus on major foreign policy issues, including ties with India.

The breakdown in relations between the two parties in 1996, forced the military back into domestic politics in order to deal with political corruption, ensure the neutrality of state institutions and help conduct elections to choose a new government for the country. The brief interregnum in democracy in Bangladesh did not change the nature of Bangladeshi politics. The Awami League returned to power in 2008. Bolstered by the huge majority in the country’s Parliament, it was able to engage with India to address the major bilateral disputes between the two countries. India has been able to reap the benefits of the democratic transition in Bangladesh. The change of guard in Bangladesh represents the possibility for a breakthrough in relations between the two sides.

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