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In recent times, China-India relations have become one of the most talked about topics in the international arena. Disputes between the two neighboring countries are also being discussed in Bangladesh. In this case, the question naturally arises as to whom will Bangladesh give more importance to bilateral relations. Although Bangladesh has always believed in friendly relations with everyone, it is safe to say that India’s former ally has kept some distance from India on various issues. Analysts believe that the Asian superpower China will make the most of this gap between Bangladesh and India.
The influential British magazine The Economist on Saturday published an analytical report on India’s weakening relations with Bangladesh and its progressive rapprochement with China. Here’s a translation of the article for Jago News readers:
Sylhet, a city in northeast Bangladesh, is only 50 kilometers from the border with India. Still, when the Bangladeshi government agreed to build a new airport in the city at a cost of 250 million last April, a Chinese company, Beijing Urban Construction Group, won the spot, beating India. Last June, China approved duty-free access to 98 percent of Bangladesh’s exports. And this month, after decades of disputes with India over water sharing in Teesta, Bangladesh has asked China to invest £ 1 billion in water management projects in the region.
Bangladesh is grateful to India for its support in the 1971 war of independence. Since then, relations between the two countries have been quite close. But many Bangladeshis see India as a hegemonic and arrogant ally.
A Bangladeshi journalist said: “They really don’t believe that we are independent. They sniff everything. They believe that our bureaucrats work for them.
Suspicions have also been raised due to various anti-Muslim activities by the Indian government.
By contrast, China has built seven “bridges of friendship” in Bangladesh in recent years. In 2016, they surpassed India to become the largest source of foreign investment in Bangladesh. The country is also Bangladesh’s largest trading partner. During his visit to Bangladesh in 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to spend $ 20 billion on 26 projects.
Zahid Hossain, former World Bank chief economist in Bangladesh, said: “Infrastructure development, energy and telecommunications are China’s business.”
Ali Riaz of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign said: “As a large donor, China is less shy than most Westerners.” Bangladesh turned down a £ 1.2 billion loan from the World Bank in 2013 when it launched an investigation into allegations of corruption at the Padma Bridge project. So China came forward.
“The number of Bangladeshi students in China has also increased at a significant rate in recent years,” Riaz said.
The media are also in the discussion. “About 80 percent of our journalists have gone to China,” said a reporter for a Bangladeshi business newspaper. He himself spent 10 months in China in 2016 on a scholarship.
Shortly after the coronavirus reached Bangladesh, China sent a team of doctors to fight the epidemic.
There is a lot of work to be done on these collaborations. The Chinese government persecutes Muslims more systematically than India. They were slow to provide duty-free access to Bangladeshi products. Even then, there was less criticism of China in the Bangladeshi media.
Of course, Bangladesh is very careful about these issues. They do not owe too much to China nor will they bother India. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to visit Bangladesh last March. That tour was later canceled due to the coronavirus. Still, it’s awkward to have such a big and powerful neighbor next door.
Ali Riaz said: “India’s policy makers and media keep reminding Bangladesh that they are relatively small and less important. China does not do that.
KAA / MS
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