Cooperation, controversies mark Bangladesh-India relations: Seminar

India's border forces have killed almost 1,000 Bangladeshis over the past 10 years -- a figure that implies one shooting in every four days, according to Human Rights Watch.

Civil society members say public outcry against the BSF’s shoot-to-kill policy in Bangladesh has been huge.

Bangladesh's politicians, they regret, may have played down such killings, but the public opinion against these border atrocities is rising sharply.

The observations were made at a seminar on ‘Cross-Border Security: Challenges and Cooperation, Bangladesh Perspective’, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at the BIISS (Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies) in the capital city Dhaka on Sunday.

Participants there highlighted issues of border killings, human trafficking, drug dealing, cattle trade and smuggling among the many challenges pertaining to border security between the two neighbors, Bangladesh and India, as well as between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

They stressed the need for cooperation among all quarters concerned to tackle these challenges effectively.

Associate Professor of International Relations at Jahangirnagar University, Shahab Enam Khan, presented the keynote on ‘Fixing the pins and needles in Bangladesh-India relations.’

He said that cooperation has increased between the two neighbours, as reflected in the joint statement issued at the end of prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s April 2017 trip to India.

The joint statement proclaimed their shared commitment to facilitate a “pragmatic, mature and practical approach” to Bangladesh-India relationship. Yet as cooperation has increased between these two neighbours, so has controversy.

Much of the controversies between the two countries, Shahab said, revolved around border killings.

Quoting various sources, the keynote said that between January 2000 and October 2014, approximately 1006 Bangladeshis were killed by BSF. And 21 people were killed at the border over the last eight months.

Raising the economic aspects of border challenges, former chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Muhammed Abdul Mazid said economic disparity was a determining factor. The disparity needed to be addressed with a strong sense of nationalism. He termed the prevalent informal trade and informal revenue between the two countries as a ‘black hole’.

Also pointing to the need for economic solutions to border problems, former member of parliament Akhteruzzaman said that a Free Economic Zone should be set up. Referring to the booming informal border trade, he said that such a zone already existed in reality, albeit unofficially.

Senior journalist and editor of Manabjamin, Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, asked, “Who is to blame for the problems on the border? India looks after its own interests, we don’t. Barbed wire fencing doesn’t solve this problem. On our part, we need unity among our political leaders.”

Chowdhury pointed to problems along the border with Myanmar due to the Rohingya issue. He said this was a humanitarian problem which called for political dialogue. He said it was unfortunate that even after the democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi assumed a position of power in Myanmar, the problem had exacerbated rather than reduced.

Former minister Dilip Barua said only changes in mindset could bring about tangible changes in the cross-border situation. There was a need to change the political mindset in Bangladesh, he said, adding, “Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has a mindset of bilateral relations with India on an equal footing, but does India respect that? That is the crux of the problem and will remain a problem until this question is resolved.”

“India has nothing more to ask from Bangladesh,” said Barua, “We have given all, but received nothing. We have ensured that there are no ULFA insurgents on our soil and ensured India’s security, but we are not receiving our rightful dues.”

Barua highlighted the role of China, saying, “We desperately need a deep sea port and China was interested in constructing this for us. They were even willing to keep the US and India on board in the consortium for this deep sea port. China’s Belt and Road proposition, BCIM, would bring about an economic boom to our country, but we succumbed to outside pressure. We need national consensus on the deep sea port.”

Senior journalist Rezwan Siddique castigated subservient attitudes towards neighbours, saying that even Nepal and Bhutan have stood up staunchly against India now.

Former member of parliament, Awami League leader Prof Abdul Mannan, refuted that Bangladesh was subservient, saying that India was a tried and tested friend.

Former ambassador M Shafiullah said that despite Bangladesh resolving many issues in favor of India, India failed to reciprocate. “India’s northeastern states were rife with unrest and we have effectively addressed that. But India still blames Bangladesh for any insecurity. They even castigate us for buying two submarines from China. On the other hand, they haven’t even given us our fair share of water. We simply give all without even negotiating.”

Jatiya Party leader Kazi Firoz Rashid alleged that the weakness was in Bangladesh’s foreign ministry and foreign policy.

“Have our people in Kolkata and Delhi missions bothered to go to the borders to see the phensidyl factories from where the drugs are being smuggled into our country?” he asked. Kazi Firoz said the drug yaba coming in from Myanmar was also as cross border challenge which needed resolution.

Chairman of Kalyan Party Syed Muhammed Ibrahim said it is high time we protest about killing for beef, India snatching our jamdani rights and border killings.

Human rights activist Shahjahan said that the border killings of India were a human rights issue, referring to the tragic death of the young girl Felani whose body was left for long, draped over the barbed wire fencing.

Guests of honour at the seminar, former DG of the Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB) retired major general Mohammed Mainul Islam said strong political will was essential to meet the border challenges of killing, smuggling, trafficking and more. "The border forces of Bangladesh were prepared. All they needed was an order from the higher authorities."

Also guest of honour, former election commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain said that the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) was manned with non-Bengalis who looked down on Bengalis with contempt. With Myanmar, the only real problem on the borders was the Rohingya issue, Sakhawat Hussain said.

"We have to step up our relationship with China. We want good relations with all, but not at the cost of our own interests," he concluded.

Presiding over the seminar, Prof Ataur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Political Science Association and chairman of CGS, summarised the challenges along the 4000 km border with India, emphasing the need for public debate in this regard.

The seminar was moderated by TV anchor and CGS executive director Zillur Rahman.