PM’S INDIA VISIT Govt assessing military deals with India
The government is assessing Indian proposals for signing about 10 agreements on defence cooperation including introduction of a new structured mechanism for regular discussions between the military leaderships and top defence ministry officials of the two countries.
The two sides are, however, yet to reach a consensus on Bangladesh’s proposals for signing agreements on the sharing of Teesta River water and the construction of the Padma-Ganges Barrage with participation of India.
Indian high commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday held a meeting with foreign secretary M Shahidul Haque at the foreign ministry for the preparations of prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi. Hasina is likely to fly to New Dehi on April 7 for four days with a plan to hold official talks with her counterpart Narendra Modi on April 8.
Shringla told reporters after the two-hour meeting that they were preparing for the visit.
Asked about the Teesta agreement, he said that the two sides were working to find out ‘deliverables’ and ‘not possible’ during the visit.
About the possibility of India’s concurrence on cooperation for the construction of the Padma-Ganges Barrage, Shringla said that a study on the impact of Ganges Barrage on India would be required before making a decision.
He avoided a question on the possibility of signing agreements on defence cooperation including provisions for purchase of military equipment by Bangladesh from India.
A proposed memorandum of understanding on introducing a framework for defence cooperation included the provisions for holding annual talks at the levels of senior officials of the military organisations, including armies, navies and air forces, with maintaining secrecy.
Annual consultations, if the mechanism is introduced, would be held at the between Armed Forces Division principal staff officers and defence secretaries.
The proposed defence cooperation agreement may have avenues for far reaching strategic importance, officials said.
The military organisations would also hold joint exercises, patrol and training of the staff of the forces.
India has also proposed to give a $500 million line of credit to Bangladesh for purchasing military equipment from mainly Indian state-run producers under suppliers-credit.
India has ‘reoriented’ its diplomacy toward securing weapon exports and strategic contracts as a part of its plan to consolidate influence in the region as well as containing Chinese influence in South Asia and South East Asia, officials said.
India has also proposed several agreements likely to be implemented by its state-run Bharat Electronics Limited, specialised in avionics, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, specialised in warship building, and Indian Navy.
It has also proposed several agreements involving its defence educational institutions.
India dispatched defence minister Manohar Parrikar to Dhaka in November 2016, two weeks after Bangladesh received delivery of two submarines from China, for a major upgrade in bilateral defence cooperation while China continued to expand strategic and investment footprints in Bangladesh.
India, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, was the world’s largest importer of major arms in 2012-16, accounting for 13 per cent of the global total. Between 2007–11 and 2012–16, it increased arms imports by 43 per cent. The country remains dependent on weapons technology from Russia, the United States, several European countries, Israel and South Korea.
Major defence suppliers of Bangladesh are China, Russia and several European countries.
Shringla avoided a question about Hasina’s comment stating that agents of RAW (Indian spy organization Research and Analysis Wing) used to sit regularly at BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s office in Hawa Bhaban in Dhaka before the 2001 general elections.
Hasina made the remarks at the national council session of of Juba Mohila League at Krishibid Institution auditorium in Dhaka on Saturday.
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