|
India’s commitment to strengthen bilateral relations with Bangladesh was expressed at the highest level by the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh during his meeting with the Bangladesh Prime Minister on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in July 2004. Bangladesh Foreign Minister has visited India twice in May-June 2004 and November 2004. Other Ministerial visits from Bangladesh include those of Minister of Commerce in November 2004, Minister of Finance in December 2004 and Bangladesh Health Minister in April 2005. Official level meetings included those of the Home Secretaries and Water Resources Secretaries in September 2004 and Foreign Office Consultations in June 2005. During these meetings, both sides reaffirmed the importance that they attach to bilateral relations and expressed their desire to further expand, deepen and strengthen cooperation.
However, the differences between India and Bangladesh on the fencing of the border lie in the interpretation of the 1975 Joint India-Bangladesh Border Guidelines. Clause 8(e) of the guidelines states that “if defensive works of any nature, including trenches, exist in the stretch of 300 yards (150 yards on each side of the boundary) these must be destroyed or filled up.”
It is India’s view that the boundary fence is not a defensive structure but an instrument of border management meant to control illegal cross border movements, smuggling, infiltration, etc. For the most part, the fence is located at or beyond 150 yards of the border. However, in certain stretches due to habitations or necessitated by terrain conditions, the fence would fall within 150 yards from the zero line. However, Bangladesh has objected to the construction of the fence within 150 yards of the zero line on the basis that this is in violation of the jointly agreed 1975 Border Guidelines.
India has also conveyed to the Government of Bangladesh the need to build the fence within and up to the zero line on the International border necessitated by terrain and habitations and that it would carry out the necessary, repair and developmental works on the Indian side of the International Boundary. In this regard, details of the villages, houses and population within 150 yards of the India-Bangladesh border and a list of works taken up and kept suspended due to objections by Bangladesh Rifles has also been sent to the government of Bangladesh. The same was also reiterated during the Foreign Office Consultations held in June 2005.
Meetings between the border guarding forces of the two countries are held regularly. Bilateral trade and commercial relations continue to show healthy growth. Bilateral discussions have been held under the Joint Working Groups on Trade and Tariffs issues and the Joint Customs Group to address and initiate various measures for facilitating the flow of trade.
The next Joint Working Groups on Trade and Tariff issues are scheduled to meet in August 2005 in Dhaka where issues pertaining to bilateral trade, Free Trade Agreement and elimination of para-tariff and non-tariff barriers would be discussed further.
AK/SK/JA
|
