Return of the democratic process in Bangladesh has provided a golden opportunity to both New Delhi and Dhaka to repair their bilateral relations.
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Return of the democratic process in Bangladesh has provided a golden opportunity to both New Delhi and Dhaka to repair their bilateral relations, which were badly affected during the 18-month-long political unrest in the neighbouring country. On its part, India has already shown its keenness to bring the relationship back on track by being the first country to congratulate Prime Minister-designate Tarique Rahman, and Dhaka has reciprocated the move by extending an invitation to the Indian Prime Minister to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government. The courtesy extended to each other may pave the way for ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity in South Asia. Coming together of the two countries will provide an immense boost to the region’s economy as it is blessed with almost all the resources required to expedite development.
To achieve this goal, both India and Bangladesh should try to find a quick solution to the vexed water dispute. With the Teesta water treaty still in limbo and the term of the Ganga Water Treaty coming to an end next December, the task is already cut out for the two neighbours to find realistic solutions regarding water sharing. This is important, as an amicable solution to the dispute will be key to the survival of one of the most fertile and densely populated deltas in the world. This delta is considered the lifeline of the Great Indian Plains, stretching from north India to the eastern part of the subcontinent. The best possible way to solve the dispute is to consider solutions based on ground realities rather than adopting a stubborn approach.
For instance, almost 70 per cent of the water carried annually by rivers flowing through the delta gets wasted, as the countries have so far made no effort to store it to fulfil agricultural requirements during the dry season. This is why, despite being fertile, the agriculture sector in the region is unable to utilise its full potential as irrigation facilities remain inadequate. Thus the solution lies in storing excess water available during the monsoon months rather than taking a bullish stand against each other. This will help both nations produce more farm products even during the dry season, besides ensuring sustainable development in the era of global warming.
Besides the water issue, a productive method should be explored to increase the volume of trade and commerce between the two countries. In this context, the best possible way is to make all traditional trade routes functional at once. Proper emphasis should be given to developing localised border trade to strengthen the rural economy, as was the case before Partition, when it formed the economic backbone of bordering areas. Such steps may help the two nations comprehensively change the fortunes of this part of the world.