India-Bangladesh relations took an upward swing at the NAM summit in Tehran. The deadlock in the Indian parliament caused by the coal block allotment controversy indirectly cast a shadow on these relations. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had the tough job of explaining to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina the difficulty his country faces in ratifying the land boundary treaty between the two countries signed last September. He conveyed Inidia’s decision to convert $200 million out of the $ 1 billion line of credit to Bangladesh into a grant. Singh also expressed his government’s commitment to address the outstanding issues with Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina regards the land boundary treaty as a major domestic achievement and wants to showcase it in the run-up to the national elections in her country next year. Dhaka has been pressing New Delhi to ratify the agreement as soon as possible. Another issue which Hasina want resolved quickly is the sharing of the Teesta waters which has been put on hold by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The Indian government has been in talks with the Opposition to ensure a unanimous passage of the treaty. Negotiations were stalled during the rumpus in Parliament in the course of the monsoon session. Besides, Mamata Banerjee, a key UPA ally had expressed disagreement over the number of people who were to move into West Bengal as a result of the exchange of enclaves agreed in the treaty. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi also has reservations on this ground. The burning question however, is the illegal entry of Bangladeshi immigrants into India which was one of the main causes of the violent, continuing ethnic conflict in Assam with repercussions in other parts of India. The Union Home Ministry feels that it can be negotiated sometime in the future. But obviously the matter brooks no delay. In this regard, the UPA will get the full support of the BJP.
