In a short column such as this, we cannot write enough on how crucial are India’s amicable relations with Bangladesh, as the former’s north-east security as well as economy hinge on warm ties between the two nations. Strong ties existed between both, especially between people, as India played a crucial role in the formation of Bangladesh during the 1971 Liberation War.

As such, the remarks of Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, during his visit to China have caused much anguish, and anger, in India. Post-ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government, taking umbrage at India’s asylum to Sheikh Hasina, the Yunus-led caretaker administration has rubbed India on the wrong side enough. It particularly paid no heed to India’s concerns over attacks on Bangladesh’s minorities. It is seen moving away from India into bear hug of Pakistan and China. Its forces are blocking India’s efforts to erect fencing along the international border. For Dhaka, the presence of former premier Sheikh Hasina in India has become a niggling issue.

At a time when the Yunus’s government should be more sensitive to India’s concerns to facilitate a potential meeting with Prime Minister Modi during the 6th BIMSTEC Summit being held from April 2-4 in Bangkok, he acted thoughtlessly. In a video of his speech during his visit to China (March 26 to 29), he says: “Seven states of India, eastern part of India, called seven sisters… they are landlocked country, landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean. We are the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. So this opens up a huge possibility. So this could be an extension of the Chinese economy. Build things, produce things, market things, bring things to China, bring it out to the whole rest of the world”. Analysts decipher that he could be in fact offering the Chinese an opportunity for a siege of India.

Yunus’ speech implied a reference to India’s ‘Chicken’s Neck’ corridor – a narrow strip of land in West Bengal’s Siliguri – that is the only access of North East to the rest of India. India engaged with Hasina government to transit through Bangladesh for easy access to its north-east. Now, Yunus appears to use this leverage to woo Chinese investments into his country. But he appears naive to burn bridges with New Delhi.

Notwithstanding his outrageous comments during his first state visit abroad, for which he pointedly chose Beijing, Delhi must restrain itself. Not letting matters go out of hand, though it is a bitter pill to swallow for India, the Modi government must step up its outreach to Dhaka. It is time to flag mutually beneficial aspects of warm ties between the two nations. We should invest our time and energies on remedying this situation before it turns irreparable.

Though it was much hoped for, a meeting between PM Modi and Md Yunus could not fructify on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last year, and if they meet Bangkok, it would be the first one. PM Modi in his congratulatory message to Yunus on March 26 on Bangladesh’s National Day pitched India’s commitment to advancing the partnership. It definitely augurs well for a possible meeting between the two leaders. It is time both leaders reinforced bilateral ties in their best mutual interests.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation is a good occasion to explore ways for expanding regional cooperation with all India’s neighbours - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. BIMSTEC should be turned into an engine of economic growth for around 1.5 billion people in the seven countries, with a combined GDP of $3.8 trillion. A fourth of the world’s traded goods cross the Bay of Bengal every year.