India-Bangladesh ties example of good neighbourly relations, says Jaishankar

India’s relations with Bangladesh has set an example for the region, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, as New Delhi formally handed over 10 broad gauge locomotives to eastern neighbouring nation.

“Very few countries in the world share such close fraternal ties as those of ours. Our partnership today stands out as a role model in the region for good neighbourly relations,” Jaishankar said, as he and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday virtually flagged off the locomotives, which rolled into Bangladesh from India. “As friends in prosperity and growth, we have also faced challenges together. I, therefore, firmly believe that our partnership will be key to building a prosperous and peaceful South Asia.”

To mark the occasion, Jaishankar and Goel had a video conference with Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen and Railway Minister Mohammad Nurul Islam Sujan.

Goyal said that New Delhi’s neighbourhood policy was based on Prime Minister mantra of “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas”. “The leadership of both India and Bangladesh are committed to reviving the pre-1965 railway connection between the two countries,” said the railway minister.

“India remains a committed development partner of Bangladesh. Our uniquely concessional lines of credit of close to US$ 10 billion is the largest India has extended to any country,” said Jaishankar. “These projects will help in the infrastructure development of Bangladesh, a pre-requisite for its economy to leapfrog to the next level. We need to work together to expedite many of the ongoing projects.”

The External Affairs Minister lauded the relations between New Delhi and Dhaka even as a rare phone-call between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan last week caused unease for India.

New Delhi suspects that Beijing is trying to play the role of a mediator to bring its “all-weather ally” Islamabad and Dhaka closer, leaving behind the five-decade-long bitterness, which has its origin in Pakistan Army’s atrocities on people of the erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1971 liberation war that gave birth to Bangladesh.

Even as its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was engaged in a stand-off with the Indian Army along the disputed boundary between the two nations, China recently brought into effect a zero-tariff policy for 97% of its imports from Bangladesh, allowing the South Asian nation to export to the communist country an additional 5161 items without paying any customs duty. Beijing is also understood to be in discussion with Dhaka for granting loans to the tune of $ 6.4 billion for several infrastructure projects across Bangladesh.