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Download PDF Bangladesh and India will share security information regarding cross-border crimes and look to accelerate resolutions on border and water-resources sharing.
The two-day foreign secretary-level talks between the two neighbours concluded here yesterday with the resolutions.
Both sides took advantage of improved political relations to discuss long-standing irritants such as demarcating 6.5km borderland, combating cross-border terrorism, greater access for Bangladeshi goods in India and improved road-rail connectivity.
Wrapping up the first foreign secretary-level talks in two years, Bangladesh Acting Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain and Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon issued a joint statement at a press conference at state guesthouse Padma.
In the statement, the two sides agreed to work together and “clear the table of remaining issues”.
Menon described Bangladesh as a “priority” for India and said although it is in India’s interest for Bangladesh to be “peaceful, democratic and stable”, “ultimately, it’s the people of Bangladesh who will decide their future.”
Dhaka and New Delhi also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to standardise their quality controls for certification, testing, measurement and quality assurance systems, which would effectively remove non-tariff barriers for Bangladeshi goods.
Representatives from the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and an Indian External Affairs Ministry official representing the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) signed the MoU.
These are the first steps towards removing the non-tariff barriers long demanded by Bangladesh to expand its market in India and especially stressed by Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Chowdhury during informal bilateral talks in April.
“The two sides emphasised the need for enhanced security cooperation, particularly information sharing between the authorities concerned,” reads the joint statement.
Asked about the nature of information to be shared, Menon said, “It’s the sort of cooperation that is not done well in the glare of light.” The details of expanding security cooperation will be discussed in the upcoming meeting of the home secretaries of the two countries.
On the mud-slinging tradition over cross-border crimes, Menon said, “I think our securities are linked. We have a common security interest. Criminals, insurgents, terrorists–if any of these elements seek sanctuary, then it doesn’t help either India or Bangladesh. We are both determined to work against this.”
India will also provide Bangladeshi goods with duty-free access to its market “in phases” by December 31, with next month’s meeting of the Joint Working Group on Trade to sort out how to reduce the number of goods on India’s “sensitive lists” protected from the duty-free arrangement.
Asked if Dhaka has pressed for measures to reduce the cumulative trade gap of $7-8 billion with New Delhi, Touhid said, “It will not happen overnight…I am sure we will reach a point where Bangladesh exports to India will increase.”
Both the foreign secretaries also identified completion of boundary demarcation, exchange of enclaves and adverse possessions as priorities that require “early resolution”.
But, implementation of the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement will be considered practically on the basis of “ground realities”, the joint statement read.
India and Bangladesh share the longest land-boundary with each other.
“We would like to solve these problems as quickly as possible,” said Menon, adding, “Nothing holds us apart [on the issue]…If it suits us both, if it suits the situation on the ground, we will implement it soon.”
The two sides also stressed the need for greater land and train links, with India to send a team in the first week of July to coordinate outstanding logistical issues to start the long-awaited Dhaka-Kolkata rail-link.
They also discussed greater tariff cuts, coordinated development of land customs stations, establishing “border haats” and greater Indian investment into Bangladesh.
Foreign ministry sources, however, said Dhaka’s vacillation over the multi-billion dollar investment proposals from Indian business giants Tata and Mittal has annoyed New Delhi. These proposals will be considered by elected governments, said the sources.
Regarding water resources, the two sides decided to leave it up to the upcoming meeting of the water-resources secretaries at the Joint Committee of Experts (JCE) to sort out details on common river water sharing, minor irrigation and drinking water schemes, flood-mitigation cooperation, and dredging and river bank protection work.
The two foreign secretaries hoped to hold a Joint Rivers Commission meeting at the earliest after the JCE meeting.
During his stay, Menon also met with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Chowdhury, and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed.
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