I t is not only to counter the increasing hegemony of China in the region , it is not only to have good neighbourliness like environment between India and Bangladesh, it is not only to benefit from each other in economic spheres but it is the reiteration of India’s commitment to “Neighbourhood first policy ” of which Bangladesh was a key pillar and to see that Bangladesh remained a peaceful and prosperous country. That country having attained its real independence in 1971 after bouts of persecution , exploitation and even undergoing worst human rights violation against the citizenry especially against the women at the hands of the military junta of West Pakistan, finds in India as its ”true friend”. It is to remind that India in no less measure suffered in the liberation movement spearheaded by the Bangla people and in lending help to MuktiBahini, feeding and looking after millions of persecuted refugees from that country who crossed over to India to escape the massacres , loot, violence and rapes. Indian Prime Minister who had been duly invited by the Bangladesh Government to be part of the celebrations of their 50 years of independence not only gave his acquiesce but made it his first foreign visit after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year and his preference to be present physically in Bangladesh for two days instead of addressing the event virtually , carries a lot of meaning of how India was eager to further the deep bonds of friendship with Bangladesh. For that matter, as the avowed policy of India, friendship and close co-operation between India and all its neighbours including Pakistan and Chinahas always received top priority. Since it takes two hands to clap, perpetual belligerence, animosity and acts of hostilities by China and Pakistan undoubtedly put spokes in the wheels of the process of friendship and mutual understanding with those countries. It, therefore, is a natural corollary that the visit of Indian Prime Minister to Bangladesh should create enough opportunities to take mutual relations to more advantageous positions diplomatically as well as economically and the possibilities of some of the understandings and agreements on various issues could be inked into MOUs were found out is very positive and results yielding process. Since it is the economic ties, rather than military ties as used to be in the past between two neighbours, which bring the two countries closer in the present day set up, talks on extensive pattern took place on issues like connectivity, energy and trade . Out of the five MOUs signed included areas like information technology, commerce, connectivity, sports etc and with these agreements, it is likely that Bangladesh stood vastly advantaged in comparison to India. PM Modi as a humanitarian gesture , handed over representational key of 109 ambulances to the PM of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina . Since Modi carried with him 1.2 million COVID vaccine doses , a representational box as a symbol of the gift of the vaccine doses was presented to Sheikh Hasina who on her part presented to PM Modi a gold and a silver coin released on the occasion of birth centenary of her father Bangubandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman . Not only this, the two leaders jointly opened some projects virtually. Integrating of the two economies could become possible only when both the countries played significant role in the global and regional value chains . Not only that, boosting connectivity was most important. The visit of PM Narendra Modi to Bangladesh amidst the virtual second wave of the corona virus pandemic, besides, further cementing the relations between the two countries had also a message, loud and clear, besides to Bangladesh, to the world that India attached greater importance to its relations with Bangladesh. Nepal too, could from this visit of the PM, be fully assured that its interests lay fully secured in further strengthening the ages old relations with India and not in any way with China which is trying to have its influence cultivated in that country. With the PM visiting Hindu shrines and offering puja in an important temple there too had message of creating confidence in the Hindu minority community as also that the Government of that country should take care of its religious minorities and plant in them a sense of security and trust. Unfortunately, the timing of the PM’s visit to Bangladesh is in certain quarters in the country, linked with the Assembly polls in West Bengal rather than looking at it from a broader prism of strengthening bi-lateral relations
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