Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks on Bangladesh-India relations have been viewed as a positive signal from New Delhi, but diplomatic analysts say India needs to take concrete steps to reduce the trust deficit and build confidence in the relationship.
They say the existing mistrust cannot be overcome overnight, but positive gestures backed by tangible actions could create the foundation for a more workable and sustainable relationship.
Jaishankar addressed questions on Bangladesh-India relations on Saturday at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum.
Asked about Dhaka’s demand for the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Jaishankar declined to respond directly but said any bilateral relationship must be based on mutual interests.
“What I can tell you is, for any relationship to work, it has to meet the test of mutual interest. It has to work for us,” he said.
He said relations between neighbouring countries could not be one-sided.
“I am not expecting neighbours to only do what is in my interest. There has to be a reasonable degree of my recognising and respecting what is in their interest, just as I expect them also to do so,” he said.
“It is when you get that landing point, that common ground, relationships work smoothly,” Jaishankar said, adding that “mutuality” of interests underpins overall engagement.
Former ambassador Mashfee binte Shams told TIMES of Bangladesh that Jaishankar’s remarks reflected a basic principle of international relations.
“What the Indian foreign minister said is a principled position of any foreign relations. Mutual interest, or recognising and respecting the interests of others, is the foundation of any relationship,” she said.
“It appears that India is sending a positive signal, but now both countries need to find common ground,” she added.
Former ambassador Mahbub Hassan Saleh also described Jaishankar’s remarks as balanced.
“It is a balanced response. The Indian foreign minister did not mention Bangladesh by name and gave a general response about the neighbourhood,” he said.
He said Jaishankar’s remarks could indicate that New Delhi was gradually recognising the importance of some of Dhaka’s concerns.
“It can be inferred from the statement that India perhaps is in the process of realising the importance of Dhaka’s demands,” Saleh said. He also added, “We have to wait to see whether the words from Delhi translate into actions that are essential to reduce the trust deficit between the two countries”.
Finding common ground
Diplomats say every bilateral relationship has areas of both convergence and divergence. When relations are strained, identifying areas of common interest and cooperation can help rebuild confidence and create space for addressing more difficult issues.
Shams said Bangladesh and India could initially agree to avoid negative rhetoric against each other.
“In my view, both countries can agree not to speak negatively about each other. It is important to stop talking negatively about each other,” she said.
Another potential area for immediate cooperation could be the repatriation of the killers of Sharif Osman Hadi, who were arrested in India, she said.
“This is a criminal matter and has nothing to do with politics. If India hands over the killers, it will send a positive signal backed by concrete action,” Shams said.
