Bangladesh and India have expressed optimism that the utilization rate of Lines of Credit (LoCs) extended to Bangladesh by India is set to increase significantly in the near future. With the award of more than US$ 990.85 million worth of contracts under the LoCs during the past three years, and another US$ 325.58 million being finalized within the next few months, the two sides hope it will create new opportunities for shared development of the region and mutual benefits. Bangladesh and India have noted considerable improvement in the speed of projects reaching execution or ending stage under the LoCs.  It has been made possible with the active cooperation of the project-implementing agencies of both sides and the extensive coordination efforts between the Economic Relations Division (ERD) and the High Commission.  The 19th Bangladesh-India LoC review meeting was held in Dhaka on October 27-28 to review the progress of 43 projects being taken up for implementation under GoI Lines of Credit (LoCs). READ: Bangladesh's Delhi mission plants 100 saplings on Sheikh Russel's birthday   Sridharan Madhusudhanan, Joint Secretary (DPA-I), Ministry of External Affairs, government of India led the Indian delegation and the Bangladesh delegation was led by Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Additional Secretary, ERD, Ministry of Finance, government of Bangladesh.  Representatives of Indian companies executing the LoC projects in Bangladesh also participated in the meeting. The India-Bangladesh development partnership has grown significantly in recent years, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.  Four LoCs worth US$ 7.862 billion had been extended to Bangladesh for undertaking important infrastructure development projects in a wide array of sectors.  The total disbursements as of October 25, 2021 are approximately US$ 865 million.  Under the first LoC of US$ 862 million, 12 out of 15 projects have already been completed and three projects are under execution.  Under the second LoC of US$ 2 billion, two projects are already complete and the other projects are under various stages of implementation. Under the third LoC of US$ 4.5 billion, one project has reached the execution stage, while the other projects are under various stages of DPP finalisation and tendering. During the LoC review meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction with the robust cooperation on LoC projects.  The two delegation heads appreciated the fact that all stakeholders on the LoC projects are in constant touch, holding frequent and detailed review meetings, and are making every effort for the expeditious execution of projects.  A detailed discussion was held, Line Ministry-wise, to review project progress. The existing issues with project implementation and possible resolution mechanisms were identified.  Detailed timelines were determined for all the steps involved in project implementation. The two sides agreed that the LoC review mechanism is an ideal platform to monitor the progress of projects, understand and remove procedural bottlenecks and ensure timely implementation.  The successful implementation of projects under GoI LoCs and the continuous engagement of the two countries on ongoing and proposed projects underlines the commitment of both sides for creating new opportunities for shared development of the region and mutual benefits.  Both the delegation heads recalled that the importance of bilateral cooperation between Bangladesh and India, utilizing the LoCs, was highlighted by the Prime Minister of India during the virtual Summit held with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on December 17, 2020. Prior to the LoC review meeting, the Indian delegation comprising MEA officials from Delhi, High Commission of India officials and Exim Bank of India officials visited the LoC project site for the Power Evacuation facilities of the Rooppur Nuclear Power plant, the Ashuganj Inland River Port project site as well as the Ashuganj-Sarail-Dharkhar-Akhaura Road project site. READ: Biman increases number of fights to Delhi and Kolkata  The delegation met all the stakeholders involved in project implementation and detailed discussions were held to review the project progress and resolve the impediments to the project progress. It was agreed that the 20th bilateral LoC review meeting would be held in Delhi in April 2022.

India and China on Sunday established a hotline between their ground commanders in Kongra La in north Sikkim and Khamba Dzong in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, amidst the continuing military confrontation in eastern Ladakh since April-May last year. The development comes a day after the 12th round of corps commander-level talks, led by 14 Corps commander Lt-General P G K Menon and the South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin, on the Chinese side of the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point in eastern Ladakh on Saturday. Read: India, China agree to deescalate border tension There is as yet no official word on the outcome of the nine-hour long dialogue, though there are indications that India and China have inched closer to at least completing the stalled troop disengagement at patrolling points (PPs) 15, 17 and 17A in the Hot Springs-Gogra-Kongka La area in a phased manner. There is, however, no resolution in sight over the `friction’ in the strategically-located Depsang Bulge area and Demchok in eastern Ladakh, as was reported by TOI earlier. In a statement on Sunday, the Indian Army said the new hotline was established to “further the spirit of trust and cordial relations” along the borders to coincide with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Day. Read: Pakistan, India peace move silences deadly Kashmir frontier This is the sixth such hotline between the ground commanders along the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control. Now, there are two hotlines each in eastern Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. “The armed forces of the two countries have well-established mechanisms for communication at the level of ground commanders. These hotlines in various sectors go a long way in enhancing the same and maintaining peace and tranquility at the borders,” said the Army. “The inauguration was attended by ground commanders of the respective armies and a message of friendship and harmony was exchanged through the hotline,” it added. China has, however, been dragging its feet over establishing a top-level hotline like the DGMO one between India and Pakistan. The top-level hotline was first proposed in the bilateral Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) signed in 2013 and then agreed to during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to China in 2015, as was earlier reported by TOI.   This article was first published in The Times of India

Concrete bunkers and the heavy artillery cannons dug deep into Himalayan Kashmir’s rugged terrain have fallen silent. At least for now. The Line of Control, a highly militarized de facto border that divides the disputed region between the two nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, and a site of hundreds of deaths, is unusually quiet after the two South Asian neighbors last month agreed to reaffirm their 2003 cease-fire accord. The somewhat surprising decision prompted a thaw in the otherwise turbulent relations between the countries but also raised questions about the longevity of the fragile peace, in part due to earlier failures. The crackdown by Indian forces and attacks by rebels have continued inside Indian-held Kashmir. Also read: Pakistan PM to India PM: We too want peaceful relations The cease-fire, experts say, could stabilize the lingering conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. Kashmiris say the rare move should lead to resolution of the dispute. It was unclear what prompted the two militaries to adhere to the accord they had largely ignored for years. But experts point to a climbdown by both from their earlier stance following a decision by India to strip Kashmir of its semi-autonomy and take direct control over the region in 2019, and its monthslong bitter border standoff with China. Paul Staniland, associate professor of political science at the University of Chicago, said the ongoing costs of clashes along the Line of Control, the economic effects of the pandemic, and other foreign policy challenges facing both countries might have combined to create incentives to pursue a cease-fire. Since 2003, the cease-fire has largely held despite regular skirmishes. Both India and Pakistan claim the region in its entirety and have fought two wars over it, and in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, militants have fought against Indian rule since 1989. Each country has accused the other of heightening tensions by significantly ratcheting up border attacks in the last four years, leading to the deaths of soldiers and villagers. The cease-fire announcement came shortly after China and India agreed to a military disengagement from a portion of their disputed border after a monthslong deadly military standoff. It had led to fears of a two-front war between India and China, with the latter assisted by its closest ally, Pakistan. “Some sort of pressure, possibly from Washington and Beijing for different reasons, is pushing India and Pakistan for wider peace moves in the region,” said Siddiq Wahid, historian and former vice chancellor of the Islamic University of Science and Technology. Also read: Pakistan expert: Religiosity aiding spike in militancy Beijing wants Pakistan to focus on securing its investments as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive, cross-continental infrastructure development project aimed at expanding China’s commercial connections globally. Islamabad is a key partner and some Chinese-built highways snake through Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. The U.S., on the other hand, is courting India to focus its energies on countering China. “If Pakistan is indeed looking to move toward a new regional role, embracing geopolitics, reducing tensions with India is a must, and if India is going to pivot to deal with a rising China, it has reasons to want to calm relations with Pakistan,” said Staniland, a South Asia expert. “The real question is whether these reasons remain powerful enough over time.” The thaw in relations became apparent when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an avowed Hindu nationalist, ceased playing up rhetoric against Pakistan and referencing Kashmir in campaigning for elections in four key states. In Pakistan, too, political leadership and the powerful military have shifted from their earlier position of not engaging with India until it reversed its decision to annul Kashmir’s semi-autonomy. Last week, Pakistan’s army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa said it was time for the two countries to “bury the past” and resolve the dispute over Kashmir peacefully. His remarks followed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s repeated calls for good relations with India with a caveat that the Kashmir dispute remains at the center of any future talks. Since the announcement of the cease-fire, Khan, too, has abandoned his past rhetoric against Modi. Modi appeared to reciprocate, sending last week a letter to Khan seeking cordial relations. Khan replied Tuesday but reiterated that lasting peace was mainly contingent on resolving the future of Kashmir. The rapprochement has sparked skepticism among Kashmiris who fear the dispute could be pushed to the backburner given the fast administrative and political changes in the region by India that they have likened to settler colonialism. “We are not against talks and want an end to violence. But there has to be an end to repression too,” said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, an influential Kashmiri separatist leader who has been under house arrest since August 2019. “The whole idea behind the negotiations has to be a resolution of the Kashmir issue as per the wishes of its people.” In the past, Pakistan and India made multiple attempts to broker a deal over Kashmir. They also initiated confidence-building measures like exclusive barter trade between two parts of Kashmir, sporting games and bus services for divided families. “The cease-fire can lead to relative peace but one should not expect lasting peace,” said Vinod Bhatia, who was India’s director-general for military operations from 2012 to 2014. Meanwhile, villagers living along the frontier are paying the price. Also read: Pakistani, Indian militaries agree to stop firing in Kashmir The lives of Nader Hussain and Munshi Muhammad Arshad are divided by a barbed concertina wire. Hussain lives in Indian-controlled Kashmir and Arshad in the part controlled by Pakistan. In late November, Hussain saw an artillery shell fired by Pakistani soldiers fly towards him in his mountainous village. The 50-year-old couldn’t outrun the projectile and lost both legs in the blast. Two other men were killed on the spot. “The two countries do politics on our bodies, but this must end,” he said. On the other side, the 45-year-old Arshad, who lost his father to an artillery shell fired by Indian soldiers, hoped for peace. “But a durable peace,” he said, “will only come when the Kashmir issue is resolved.”

Bangladesh and India have emphasised that the procedural bottlenecks will be removed through review mechanisms to ensure the timely implementation of the projects taken under the Indian Lines of Credit (LOC).