50 Years of Bangladesh and its Evolving Ties with India

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On 31st January 2022, Vivekananda International Foundation organised a talk on "50 years of Bangladesh and its Evolving Ties with India". 2021 marked the Golden Jubilee of the Liberation War and 50 years of India-Bangladesh ties. It also marked the 100th Birth Anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of Bangladesh. Additionally, 2022 marks 75 years of India's Independence. The 50 years of India-Bangladesh friendship are built on the sacrifices made by the Indian forces and Bangladesh warriors in the Liberation War. There's a bond of blood and sacrifice at the bottom of India-Bangladesh relations.

In 2021, on the invitation of Hon'ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh on 26th and 27th March to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the Bangladesh Liberation War. Additionally, on the invitation of Hon'ble President of Bangladesh, H.E. Mr Abdul Hamid, President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind visited Bangladesh on 15h December to attend the 50th Vijay Diwas celebrations marking the testimony of deep friendship between the two nations. The celebrations of the 50 years of India-Bangladesh relations were marked with colourful events in 18 different capitals worldwide. 2021 was a landmark year in the history of both countries, and the interaction at the highest level has cemented the bilateral ties.

Fifty Years of Bangladesh and Evolving ties with India

Indo-Bangladesh ties have experienced phenomenal growth in recent years encompassing trade, economy, and political relations. In the difficult times of the Covid-19 pandemic, both countries have stood by each other. India-Bangladesh economic integration, which includes trade and connectivity among other areas of cooperation, provides a strong impetus to regional integration and prosperity and security to the region's people.

A 50-year mark is not long in a country's history to implement policy decisions. Bangladesh started its journey as a ravaged nation with social, political and economic challenges of that time. However, despite the difficult period, Bangladesh received full support from the people and the Government of India in its journey. As a result, today, Bangladesh is among the fastest-growing economies of the world able to fulfill the basic needs of its people: food, clothing, housing, shelter and medical treatment, among other basic needs. Additionally, despite natural disasters and population growth, Bangladesh has achieved considerable food security and education progress. Furthermore, Bangladesh has achieved much improved infant and maternal mortality rate through successful policy interventions.

Bangladesh Economy and Development

Like many other countries, the Covid-19 pandemic adversely affected Bangladesh's economic growth. However, it's expected to grow at 7.2% in 2022 and 7.5% in 2023. Additionally, Bangladesh has emphasised human resource development. The income level of Bangladeshi people and their domestic demand for consumer items has been a driver of economic growth.

Bangladesh's growth is nurtured and sustained by adopting new technologies keeping pace with the outside world. Bangladesh has more than 150 million mobile phone users, and 100 million are connected to the internet. Today, Bangladesh can supply various kinds of workforce to meet the needs of a modern economy. In addition, Bangladesh's youth are increasingly multilingual and digitally savvy.

Closing Remarks on India-Bangladesh Bilateral Ties

India and Bangladesh have always been trusted partners since the very beginning, and the bilateral relations have been based on shared history, heritage, culture, language and other commonalities. The special relationship between India and Bangladesh began when India extended all its support to fight the West Pakistani forces in 1971. The strong bond between both countries results from the invaluable contribution of India's Government to the Liberation of Bangladesh. In the subsequent years, both countries signed several important treaties for cooperation in various areas, including culture, trade, and mutual assistance. The talk ended with questions from the audience and closing remarks by Director VIF.