Dhaka, Oct 14 (UNB) – With their relations now at a newer height, Bangladesh and India can dominate any sub-regional or regional grouping by continuing close coordination between the two countries, says an international relations analyst.   “Together we’re the giants in BBIN & Bimstec. We can dominate any sub-regional or regional grouping,” said former Indian Foreign Secretary and Ambassador Krishnan Srinivasan.   BBIN is a sub-regional cooperation among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, while Bimstec stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec).   Through close coordination in all fields, he said, Bangladesh and India can together transform the landscape of the two countries, South and Southeast Asia.   The expert said India will soon be the 5th largest global economy, and Bangladesh will beat India in achieving the middle-income status.   In his recent paper presented at Cosmos Dialogue, Srinivasan said the current developments between Bangladesh and India are referred to as a golden age.   “Golden ages have come and gone, but there definitely are positive achievements in recent years on trade, land and rail connections, power supply, investments, lines of credit, exchange of visits, cultural and educational ties," he said.   The former Indian foreign secretary said the issue of water sharing is naturally emotive in Bangladesh, a deltaic country afflicted by floods and droughts and mentioned that India is required to understand Bangladesh’s needs.   Bangladesh and India reiterated their commitment to further strengthen the bilateral relations on the basis of friendship, trust and understanding for the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries.   Considering the vision of Bangladesh to become a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed country by 2041, a senior official told UNB that the two countries agreed that a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in the coming days covering goods, services and investment would provide a sound basis for substantial enhancement of trade and commercial partnership.   Officials concerned of the two countries have already been directed to undertake a joint study on the prospects of entering into a bilateral CEPA, said the official.   Director of Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore C Raja Mohan, who also spoke at the Cosmos Dialogue, thinks Bangladesh requires defining the country’s interests keeping the ever-changing geopolitical and regional scenarios in considerations.   “The question is how you define your interests,” said the Indian scholar based in Singapore stressing that the two countries require building trust at all levels.   Raja Mohan said they are going to see the formation of new geography and one of the most critical elements is the rise of Bangladesh itself and transformation of its economy.   He said the growing economy of Bangladesh is going to have significant implications for South Asia.   Mohan said the change of geography around them will have at least five important consequences for bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India, including the argument of Bangladesh is India-locked. “In fact, Bangladesh can be a land bridge between India and China.”   Shedding light on politics, he said, “You’re free to elect whom you want. Today, in your country, you can elect any one. I’ve been advocating with India to deal with whoever is in the government. You can’t do the management of somebody else’s domestic politics.”   He thinks large countries have no choice but to deal with whoever is in power across the border and across the world.   “Sometimes it comes with problems, sometimes it comes with no problem. Democracy is not a gift that somebody else will give you,” Raja Mohan said adding, “Let’s be pragmatic.”   Diplomatic sources in New Delhi said India’s political parties and civil society members have good wishes for the current government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina but they want to see the people of Bangladesh to decide on it.   Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla, on many occasions, said the next national election is an internal matter of Bangladesh and India will not make any comment on that.  

Dhaka, Oct 14 (UNB) – With their relations now at a newer height, Bangladesh and India can dominate any sub-regional or regional grouping by continuing close coordination between the two countries, says an international relations analyst.
 
“Together we’re the giants in BBIN & Bimstec. We can dominate any sub-regional or regional grouping,” said former Indian Foreign Secretary and Ambassador Krishnan Srinivasan.
 
BBIN is a sub-regional cooperation among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, while Bimstec stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec).
 
Through close coordination in all fields, he said, Bangladesh and India can together transform the landscape of the two countries, South and Southeast Asia.
 
The expert said India will soon be the 5th largest global economy, and Bangladesh will beat India in achieving the middle-income status.
 
In his recent paper presented at Cosmos Dialogue, Srinivasan said the current developments between Bangladesh and India are referred to as a golden age.
 
“Golden ages have come and gone, but there definitely are positive achievements in recent years on trade, land and rail connections, power supply, investments, lines of credit, exchange of visits, cultural and educational ties," he said.
 
The former Indian foreign secretary said the issue of water sharing is naturally emotive in Bangladesh, a deltaic country afflicted by floods and droughts and mentioned that India is required to understand Bangladesh’s needs.
 
Bangladesh and India reiterated their commitment to further strengthen the bilateral relations on the basis of friendship, trust and understanding for the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries.
 
Considering the vision of Bangladesh to become a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed country by 2041, a senior official told UNB that the two countries agreed that a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in the coming days covering goods, services and investment would provide a sound basis for substantial enhancement of trade and commercial partnership.
 
Officials concerned of the two countries have already been directed to undertake a joint study on the prospects of entering into a bilateral CEPA, said the official.
 
Director of Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore C Raja Mohan, who also spoke at the Cosmos Dialogue, thinks Bangladesh requires defining the country’s interests keeping the ever-changing geopolitical and regional scenarios in considerations.
 
“The question is how you define your interests,” said the Indian scholar based in Singapore stressing that the two countries require building trust at all levels.
 
Raja Mohan said they are going to see the formation of new geography and one of the most critical elements is the rise of Bangladesh itself and transformation of its economy.
 
He said the growing economy of Bangladesh is going to have significant implications for South Asia.
 
Mohan said the change of geography around them will have at least five important consequences for bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India, including the argument of Bangladesh is India-locked. “In fact, Bangladesh can be a land bridge between India and China.”
 
Shedding light on politics, he said, “You’re free to elect whom you want. Today, in your country, you can elect any one. I’ve been advocating with India to deal with whoever is in the government. You can’t do the management of somebody else’s domestic politics.”
 
He thinks large countries have no choice but to deal with whoever is in power across the border and across the world.
 
“Sometimes it comes with problems, sometimes it comes with no problem. Democracy is not a gift that somebody else will give you,” Raja Mohan said adding, “Let’s be pragmatic.”
 
Diplomatic sources in New Delhi said India’s political parties and civil society members have good wishes for the current government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina but they want to see the people of Bangladesh to decide on it.
 
Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla, on many occasions, said the next national election is an internal matter of Bangladesh and India will not make any comment on that.