In good times and bad

India must engage all mainstream players in Bangladesh,even as it strengthens progressive forces

India must engage all mainstream players in Bangladesh,even as it strengthens progressive forces

President Pranab Mukherjees visit in the midst of internal turmoil in Bangladesh was a necessary gesture. Despite New Delhis inability so far to deliver on the two issues Dhaka privileges above all others sharing of the Teesta waters and the constitutional amendment required for the land boundary agreement the Sheikh Hasina government has persisted in its efforts to advance bilateral ties. The warm welcome for Mukherjee in Dhaka did not come as a surprise,therefore,even as opposition leader and Bangladesh Nationalist Party BNP chief Khaleda Zias cancellation of her meeting with him struck a discordant note. Yet it only underscores Delhis imperative to carefully calibrate its engagement with all the major players in Bangladesh. Zia cited the two-day strike called by the Jamaat-e-Islami against the sentencing of its top leaders as reason for the cancellation the Jamaat is a BNP ally,but Zias party also supported the strike.

Delhi cannot afford to turn away from the diplomatic challenge presented by the domestic turmoil in Bangladesh. India has been party to Bangladeshs very foundation. What happens in a Bangladesh landlocked by India on three sides affects this countrys internal security. The Jamaat,opposed to Bangladeshs independence to begin with,and dedicated to undermining the progressive part of its identity since,is facing popular resistance and Delhi cannot affect neutrality as a struggle rages for Bangladeshs soul. At the same time,with Zia being the leading opposition figure,India cannot burn its bridges with the BNP. In the past,Delhi has engaged her persistently,most recently during her visit last November and thereafter during External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshids trip to Dhaka last month.

In Dhaka,Mukherjee pointed out that Bangladesh,one of the fastest growing economies in South Asia,has acquitted itself in an exemplary manner on many social indicators. Dhaka is also at the heart of South Asian regional cooperation. To expand regional economic integration,the president urged Bangladeshi industry to make full use of its duty-free access to Indias market. Increased commerce,along with a liberalised visa regime and joint ventures in the infrastructure and power sectors can pull bilateral ties effectively out of the Jamaats shadow and transform the regional dynamic. With much at stake,Delhi and Dhaka must stay deeply engaged through good times and bad.