Dhaka [Bangladesh], September 26 (ANI): India’s people-centric approach towards Bangladesh is a really good idea, a senior Bangladeshi foreign policy analyst said on Saturday.
"I think what I've seen in recent activities that India has started understanding that maintaining political relationship with one party, it does not serve their national interest. I think it... their people-centric approach and ideas came from that realization", Lailufar Yasmin, a professor of International Relations at the University of Dhaka, told ANI.
"So, I believe that they will take efforts. Of course, it will take time for making Bangladeshi people understand and believe in India's, you know, activities with regard to developing bilateral relationship, but I believe it is a good approach." she added.
India's hosting of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is not a big problem for bilateral relations, some senior Bangladeshi foreign policy experts say. They believe the real concern is her political activities taking place in that country.
"I do not see it as a direct impediment, but I see their political activities, which are being public, this is not something that Bangladesh's people, Bangladesh's government would want to see. So I wish that Indian government would take certain actions so that, you know, the members of Awami League, they do not get engaged in, you know, open political activities", Yasmin said.
"We have seen recently that they were not permitted to hold their program in New Delhi, and that I see as, at least, something that they have, you know, that shows that they have paid some attention to this." she said.
About the possibility of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visiting India, she stated that the calculation about the BRICS summit was very different, and the calculation about a bilateral visit is a different issue. So I believe that Bangladesh and India both should understand that neighbours have to learn to live together.
"I expect that, you know, a bilateral visit will happen soon because at the, you know, bilateral level, when two heads of the state, they speak together, that itself has a lot of, you know, optic effects as well as that will sort of help both parties to negotiate on a number of issues that we need to resolve very quickly." Yasmin said.
"I find that to take the bilateral relationship forward itself, you know, political will and positive political will is extremely significant. Mutual trust, this is extremely important. Reciprocity in bilateral relationship, but at the same time, I find that, you know, coming to some kind of framework with regard to the Ganges Water Treaty is again is very significant for Bangladesh. And time is running out, and I believe a bilateral visit will help achieve Bangladesh and India to sit, you know, to gain their, you know, own objectives and to sit together and sign a deal." she said.
"Relationships always get complex, but, you know, the parties concerned also have to work together to resolve their differences. So I find that on part of India, they have to understand the concern of the Bangladeshi population, concern of the Bangladeshi polity, and at the same time, Bangladesh also sort of needs to re- sort of create a new framework of relationship with India, and I think it will progress positively very soon." Yasmin said. (ANI)
India's people-centric approach is a good idea, says Bangladesh Professor Lailufar Yasmin
