 About:

 Bangladesh was not only a key part of India’s “neighborhood first

policy” but also crucial for New Delhi’s “Act East policy”, which
aims to cement ties between India and South-East Asia.
o India was the first country to recognise Bangladesh as
a separate and independent state and established
diplomatic relations with the country immediately after
its independence in December 1971.
o India's links with Bangladesh are civilisational, cultural,
social and economic.
 Bangladesh's geographical location as India's
eastern neighbor gives it strategic
importance.
 It provides India with access to the Bay of
Bengal and an important route for trade
and connectivity with Southeast Asia.
Historic overview

 Bangladesh is closely linked to India through its shared culture and

ethnicity with West Bengal. The language, a slightly varied dialect of
Bengali, acts as a bridge between East India, North East India and
Bangladesh.
  Pakistan witnessed a split in 1971 to become Bangladesh. In the
period after the creation of the new nation of Bangladesh, the
relations between India and Bangladesh were cordial, but some
issues did erupt.
 In 1972, India and Bangladesh signed a Treaty of Friendship and
Cooperation which became the foundation of the modern India–
Bangladesh relations.
 Today, in Bangladesh, there are two key parties. Awami League,
headed by Sheikh Hasina, is a party which has stood up for secular
ideals and is favourable towards India. While Bangladesh Nationalist
Party (BNP) which is headed by Begum Khaleda Zia, is a party that
favours Bengali nationalism and is not favourably inclined towards
India.
 The entire period, till end of the Cold War, witnessed a fluctuating
relationship between the neighbouring states.
 Since the end of the Cold War, Indo–Bangladesh relations are
primarily driven by the policy orientations of the two parties—the
BNP and the Awami League. The BNP has a propensity to incline its
polices to favour Pakistan and China while the Awami League favors
a partnership with India.
Division of East Pakistan

 The factors that led to divisions of East Pakistan in 1971 emerged in

the period after 1947. East Pakistan always had inadequate
representation; it got access to fewer resources and, despite the
popularity of the Bengali language, Urdu was imposed as the
administrative language.
 In 1970, when elections took place, the Awami League won the
elections. The regime in West Pakistan refused to recognise the
mandate of the election and unleashed violence, disallowing Sheikh
Mujibur Rehman to take power.
The subsequent planning of a pre-emptive attack on India by Pakistan forced
India to militarily retaliate and support the formation of independent
Bangladesh as a new nation.
Border Issues
Context:
India and Bangladesh have a land boundary of approximately 4,100 km. This
boundary was determined by the 1947 Radcliffe Award as the India-East
Pakistan land boundary, but disputes quickly arose regarding certain aspects. On
6 June 2015, the 1974 India Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement entered into
force, following the exchange of instruments of ratification. More than 5 years
after the historic Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between India and
Bangladesh, a report released by civil rights organisations on the situation in
erstwhile enclave’s states that protest and resistance have become an essential
part of their survival in India.

Crux of the matter

 When India became independent, Sir Radcliffe demarcated the

boundary between India and Pakistan as well as India and East
Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
 While dividing the territory in East Pakistan, Radcliffe did not pay
attention to small patches of land called ‘enclaves’. These enclaves
were, in the pre independence era, called Chitmahals and they were
used by the Raja of Cooch Behar and Maharaja of Rangpur as stakes
in the game of chess.

Efforts made to resolve issue

 The Nehru–Noon agreement resolved this issue – Efforts were made

by Nehru in 1958 to divide the territories through an agreement with
Feroz Khan Noon. As per the agreement, India got the enclave of
Dahagram and Angarpota while half of Berubari enclave was to be
given to East Pakistan.
 To give effect to the Nehru–Noon agreement 1958, an amendment
under article 368 of Indian constitution was made under the 9th
Amendment Act of 1960. When Bangladesh was created in 1971,
Indira Gandhi decided to resolve the pending disputes with Mujibur
Rehman.
Land Boundary Agreement

 Following the independence of Bangladesh, India and Bangladesh

signed the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement (“1974 LBA“), in an
effort to resolve outstanding issues.
 In 1974, a Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) was designed which
clarified the need to exchange 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh
and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India. In these enclaves, citizens
were living with no available rights and facilities.
 The agreement was signed but was not ratified by India and thereby
the exchange under the LBA could not proceed successfully.
 The 1974 LBA was amended in 2011 by an additional Protocol
(“2011 Protocol“, together with the 1974 LBA, the “Land Boundary
Agreement“).

Implementation of Land Boundary Agreement

As the implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement involved the
acquisition and cessation of territory by India, its ratification by India required
an amendment to the Constitution. This was affected by the Constitution (One
Hundredth Amendment) Act 2015.
Thus, the 2015 LBA implements the unresolved issues, which were first
addressed in the 2011 Protocol. It is important to note that in the land swap,
Bangladesh gained more territory than India did.
The Land Boundary Agreement entered into force on 6 June 2015.
Implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement deals with three outstanding
border issues, relating to:
(i) Adverse possessions;
(ii) Enclaves; and
(iii) An undemarcated land boundary of approximately 6.1 km.

Adverse possessions

 Adverse possessions are territories contiguous to the border of one

country and within the control of that country, but legally part of the
bordering country (e.g. contiguous to India’s border and within
Indian control, but legally part of Bangladesh). Residents of these
adverse possessions were considered to be citizens of the country in
 adverse possession, despite the territory being legally part of the
bordering country.
 The 1974 LBA called for these adverse possessions to be exchanged.
However, both India and Bangladesh agreed in the 2011 Protocol to
redraw the international boundary to recognise the status quo.
 It was recognized that the people living in territories in adverse
possession had strong ties to their land and were unwilling to be
uprooted. The 2011 Protocol also recognised that the areas of
adverse possession which the 1974 LBA called to be transferred
were, in reality, within the de facto possession of the country in
adverse possession.
 In this regard, the 2011 Protocol was merely the legal (de jure)
recognition of this fact by both India and Bangladesh.

Enclaves

 An enclave is a territory of one State which is surrounded

completely by the territory of another State (for example, West
Berlin before the reunification of Germany). The enclaves on the
India-Bangladesh border were hundreds of years old, but remained
unsettled following the independence of India and East Pakistan.
 Because the enclaves were physically cut-off from the “home” State,
the inhabitants of the enclaves, while citizens of the “home” State,
suffered from a lack of access to basic State services, such as
electricity, health services and schooling. Under the terms of the
Land Boundary Agreement, India transferred 111 enclaves to
Bangladesh and Bangladesh transferred 51 enclaves to India. The
inhabitants of the enclaves were given the right to remain on the
territories as nationals of the State to which the territories were
transferred.
 As with the territories on adverse possession, the transfer of the
enclaves is legal (de jure) recognition by both India and Bangladesh
of the de facto situation on the ground.
Demarcation of 6.1 km land boundary

 The Land Boundary Agreement also demarcated the boundary

between India and Bangladesh in three sectors (in the Indian states
of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam), totalling 6.1 km.

Importance of this agreement

 Boundary disputes (whether relating to land or maritime boundaries)

between neighbouring territories can cause significant risk and
difficulties for companies looking to operate or invest in the disputed
areas.
 In the energy sector in particular, boundary uncertainties have the
potential to curb exploration or to create uncertainty in ownership of
oil or gas.
 They also introduce risk to those who seek to invest in other sectors
(for example, infrastructure, construction and telecommunications),
which is particularly significant where the dispute itself may have
led to under-development of essential services.
 The implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement has paved the
way for significant cross-border investment by Indian investors in
 Bangladesh and will offer increased opportunities for foreign
investment from further afield.
 In the energy sector, the two countries have indicated that an annual
India-Bangladesh Energy Dialogue will be introduced between
energy Ministers from both countries. The dialogue will undertake
comprehensive energy sector cooperation including in areas of coal,
natural gas, LNG, supply of petroleum products in the sub-region,
renewable energy and oil and gas pipeline.

What’s the issue now?

 The situation has not improved. There are marked continuities in the
problems that existed in the pre-LBA years, although the nature and
context of the problems have perceptibly changed.

Geopolitical significance

 Security of North East: A friendly Bangladesh can ensure that its soil
is not used for anti-India activities. Bangladesh’s action resulted in
the arrest of many top leaders of the NE insurgent groups like United
Liberation Front of Assam &National Democratic Front of
Bodoland.
 Bridge to Southeast Asia: Bangladesh is a natural pillar of Act East
policy. It can act as a ‘bridge’ to economic and political linkages
with South East Asia and beyond. Bangladesh is important
component of BIMSTEC and BBIN initiatives.
 Securing sea lines of communication: Bangladesh is strategically
placed nearby important sea lanes. It can play significant role in
containing piracy in the Indian Ocean.
 Fighting terrorism and deradicalization: Stable, open and tolerant
Bangladesh helps India in stopping extremists from flourishing there
and also in cooperation in deradicalization efforts, sharing
intelligence, and other counter-terrorism efforts.
 Balancing China: A neutral Bangladesh would ensure containment of
an assertive China in this region, and help in countering its string of
pearls policy.
Economic significance

 Four Border Haats, two each in Tripura and Meghalaya, have been
established for the benefit of communities living along border areas
of both countries.
 Steps have been taken including reduction in customs and
immigration documents, establishment of 49 Land customs stations,
integrated check posts etc.

Trade

 Bangladesh is India’s biggest trade partner in SouthAsia. India and

Bangladesh have facilitative trade agreement. Both are members of
the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), SAARC Preferential
Trade Agreement (SAPTA) and the Agreement on South Asian Free
Trade Area (SAFTA) which govern the tariff regimes for trade.

Connectivity of North-East

 The north eastern states are land-locked& have shorter route to sea
through Bangladesh. Transit agreement with Bangladesh will spur
socio-economic development and integration of North-East India.
 Through Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT), India
is assisting Bangladesh to capture the potential of waterways for
both inter and intra border connectivity of Bangladesh.
 Train services in Dhaka-Kolkata and Kolkata-Khulna are doing well,
the third one, Agartala-Akhaura route, is under construction.
 Five additional bus services were introduced in 2018. Recently, the
first ever Dhaka-Kolkata cruise ship was launched.
 Cultural ties

 India and Bangladesh have a shared history and common heritage.

Greater people to people contact would percolate to other areas like
economic and trade relations especially near the border areas. It
would also help in curbing hostilities and lack of trust specially
Bangladesh being a smaller neighbour.

Challenges in Relationship

 River disputes: India shares 54 trans-boundary rivers with

Bangladesh. Some of the major disputes include: Teesta River water
sharing issue, Tipaimukh Hydro-Electric Power Project on the Barak
River, Ganga River dispute etc.
 Illegal immigrants: The National Register of Citizens (NRC) labeled
many as “illegal immigrants from Bangladesh”. Bangladesh remains
firm in its stance that no migrants travelled to Assam illegally during
the 1971 war of independence and that the controversial NRC risks
hurting relations.
 Rohingya crisis: There are almost 11 lakh Rohingyas refugees in
Bangladesh. India has supplied humanitarian aid to Bangladesh
under ‘Operation Insaniyat’ for Rohingya crisis but Bangladesh
 expects India to put pressure on Myanmar for repatriation of over a
million of Rohingyas.
 Border Management: The Indo-Bangladesh border is of porous
nature which provides pathway for smuggling, trafficking in arms,
drugs and people and cattle.
 Delay in project execution: As of 2017, India had extended three
lines of credit worth approximately $7.4 billion. However, less than
10% of the cumulative commitments have been disbursed so far.
Also, there is delay in implementation of the BBIN (Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Nepal initiative)project.
 China factor: China is the biggest trading partner of Bangladesh and
is the foremost source of imports. Recently, China declared zero duty
on 97% of imports from Bangladesh. The concession flowed from
China’s duty-free, quota-free programme for the Least Developed
Countries. China is the biggest arms supplier to Bangladesh.
 The smaller countries like Bangladesh uses China card to
supplement its bargaining capacity against India.
 Increasing radicalization: Presence of groups like Harkat-alJihad-al-
Islami (HUJI), Jamaat-e-Islami, and HUJI-B fuel Anti-India
sentiments in Bangladesh. Their propaganda could spill
acrossborder.

BBIN AGREEMENT

 The BBIN project was conceived when SAARC at its 18th Summit
in Kathmandu failed to sign a SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement in
November 2014-chiefly because of Pakistan.
 Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal have signed a sub-regional
Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) in June 2015 for regulation of
passenger, personnel and cargo vehicular traffic between the four
BBIN countries.
 Originally, the BBIN MVA mentioned 30identified priority transport
connectivity projects with an estimated cost of over US $8 billion
that will rehabilitate and upgrade remaining sections of trade and
transport corridors in the BBIN countries.
 India, Nepal and Bangladesh have ratified the Agreement while
Bhutan failed to get its Parliament’s nod to ratify the same. It has
 some reservations about its environmental impact owing to increased
traffic of heavy- duty vehicles.
 Under South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC)
programme, Asian Development Bank(ADB) has been providing
technical, advisory, and financial support to this initiative.
 On November 1, 2015, a cargo vehicle made the first successful trial
run from Kolkata to Agartala via Bangladesh that reduced the
distance by over a thousand kilometres.

 Economic Cooperation:
o Bangladesh is India’s biggest trading partner in the
subcontinent. India’s export to Bangladesh stood at USD
8 billion during April –November 2022.
 India enabled the export of cargo from ICDs
within India to Bangladesh through inland
waterways.
 Also, the transshipment of containerized
export cargo from Bangladesh to third
 countries through India gained a streamlined
process.
 Utilizing both riverine and land
routes, this measure reinforces
trade routes and opens up new
possibilities for cargo movement.
 India has provided duty free quota free
access to Bangladesh on all tariff lines except
tobacco and alcohol under South Asian Free
Trade Area (SAFTA) since 2011.
 Bangladesh and India in July 2023 launched
a trade transaction in rupees, a move aimed
at reducing dependence on the US
dollar and strengthening regional currency
and trade.
Note: According to the India Tourism Statistics Report 2022 of Ministry of
Tourism, Bangladesh has been the second largest amongst tourist generating
markets for India in the year 2021.
 Defence Cooperation:
o India and Bangladesh share 4096.7 km. of border;
the longest land boundary that India shares with any
of its neighbors.
 Assam, West Bengal, Mizoram, Meghalaya,
and Tripura share borders with Bangladesh.
o The two also conduct Joint Exercises - Army (Exercise
Sampriti) and Navy (Exercise Bongosagar)
 Energy and Connectivity:
o The India-Bangladesh Friendship
Pipeline connecting Siliguri in West Bengal and
Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh, will
transport one million Metric Tonnes Per Annum
(MMTPA) of High-Speed Diesel to Bangladesh.
 India and Bangladesh have been cooperating
in developing cross-border infrastructure
projects, such as the Akhaura-Agartala rail
link and Maitri Setu.
 Multilateral Cooperation:
 o India and Bangladesh are also engaged in regional
cooperation through multilateral forums such as SAARC
(South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation), BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Multi-
Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation) and Indian Ocean Rim Association
(IORA).
What are the Current Major Issues Between India and Bangladesh?
 Sharing of Transboundary River Waters: India and Bangladesh
share 54 common rivers, but only two treaties have been signed so
far of Ganga Waters Treaty and The Kushiyara River Treaty.
o The other major rivers, such as the Teesta and Feni are
still under negotiation.
 Illegal Migration: Illegal migration from Bangladesh to
India, involving refugees and economic migrants, remains a
pressing issue.
o This influx strains Indian border states, impacting
resources and security. The problem intensified
with Rohingya refugees entering India through
Bangladesh.
o The National Register of Citizens (NRC), aimed at
curbing such migration, has raised concerns in
Bangladesh.
 Drug Smuggling & Trafficking: There have been many incidences
of cross border drug smuggling & trafficking. Humans
( especially children & women) are trafficked & various animal &
bird species are poached through these borders.
 Growing Chinese Influence in Bangladesh: At present, Bangladesh
is an active partner in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (India is
not a part of BRI).
o China's increasing involvement with Bangladesh could
potentially undermine India's regional standing and
impede its strategic aspirations.
Connectivity

 The newly restored railway link between Haldibari (India) and Chilahati
(Bangladesh) was jointly inaugurated by both nations. The train facilities
to open with the improvement in COVID-19 situation.
  India and Bangladesh welcomed the following initiatives:

 The signing of the second addendum to the Protocol on Inland

Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT).

 Trial run of trans-shipment of Indian goods from Kolkata to

Agartala via Chattogram.

 Operationalization of Sonamura-Daudkandi Protocol route under

the PIWTT.

 Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement

decided to be operationalised with the early MOUs between India, Nepal
and Bangladesh. Bhutan to be given a later date to join.
 Bangladesh showed interest in joining India Myanmar Thailand trilateral
highway project as an aid to enhance connectivity between South and
South-East Asia regions.
 India also requested to allow connectivity from West Bengal to
Meghalaya through Bangladesh.
 To meet the travel needs amid the COVID-19 situation, the two nations
had earlier initiated a temporary Air Travel Bubble.
o

Way Forward
 Joint Task Forces: There is a need to establish joint task forces
comprising law enforcement agencies from both countries to
effectively combat cross-border drug smuggling and human
trafficking. Shared intelligence and coordinated operations can
disrupt illegal networks.
 Smart Border Management: Implementing smart border
management solutions that utilize artificial intelligence and data
analytics can streamline cross-border movements while ensuring
security and efficiency.
 Digital Connectivity Corridor: There is a need to establish
a digital connectivity corridor between the two countries, focusing
on high-speed internet connectivity, digital services, and e-
commerce. This can create new avenues for trade, collaboration, and
technological exchange.