Prof. Dr. Mohan P. Lohani
Former Ambassador to Bangladesh
and Nepal’s deputy PR to the UN
The significance of bilateral friendship and cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh needs no overemphasis. Bilateral relations between these two South Asian neighbors are characterized by amity and goodwill, equality and harmony, mutual support and cooperation.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in April 1972.
Nepal, which had recognized Bangladesh as an independent country, accepted it as ‘an indisputable political reality’ in a statement issued on January 16, 1972.
Bilateral relations have ever since remained close, cordial, friendly, cooperative and problem free. Bangladesh has continued to appreciate Nepal’s support, both moral and material, during the liberation war of the early 70s.
Nepal was overwhelmed when Bangladesh, a coastal country, co-sponsored a resolution tabled by land-locked countries, including Nepal seeking freedom of access to and from the sea in the UN’s economic committee in the mid-seventies of the last century when this writer was Nepal’s deputy permanent representative to the UN during the period. Nepal has, however, not been able to fully utilize the port facilities provided by Bangladesh.
Likewise, at the time of a special session on economic matters convened by the UN in 1980, Nepal and Bangladesh closely worked together to champion the cause of the least developed countries (LDCs).
I recall with appreciation the active role played by Ambassador Abul Ahsan, former foreign secretary of Bangladesh and former first SAARC secretary-general in 1987 after the SAARC secretariat was hosted by Nepal the same year.
Both Nepal and Bangladesh are keen to revitalize and reactivate this regional organization which has completed in December this year 36 years of its existence.
It is sad to note that SAARC has remained hostage to prolonged bilateral tensions between India and Pakistan, the two influential members of the region. SAARC, it may be recalled, which was launched in Dhaka in 1985, was the outcome of a pioneering role played by Bangladesh, which was fully supported by other South Asian countries like Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Nepal and Bangladesh have worked together, in the spirit of close partnership, in regional and sub-regional forums like SAARC, BIMSTEC and BBIN as well as other multilateral forums like the UN in resolving issues of regional and global concern, such as international terrorism, poverty alleviation, food crisis, environmental degradation and climate change.
It is, however, distressing to note that SAARC has remained in a state of limbo since Nepal hosted the 18th Summit in 2014.
A major agreement of this Summit was South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity).
Bangladesh has shown interest in promoting cooperation in the energy sector and has already expressed its readiness for power trade.
Needless to point out, there is tremendous scope for cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh in areas ranging from connectivity in roads, railways, airways and waterways to trade, tourism, education, culture and hydropower generation.
Trade deficit is a matter of concern for both countries, although the balance of trade is currently in favor of Bangladesh. If zero tariff is agreed upon, Nepali goods can find access to Bangladeshi market.
Garment is a thriving industry in Bangladesh which enjoys comparative advantage in this sector.
Nepal is in a position to export yarn in abundance.
It is reported that at the recently held bilateral trade talks which covered a comprehensive agenda of 23 items, such as power trade, visa facilitation for Nepali students, cargo carrying vehicles, use of Bangladesh ports and, last but not the least, export of yarn from Nepal, priority was given to yarn export but no progress has been made.
Nepal has already invited Bangladeshi investors to invest in energy projects in order to facilitate the power trade and supply of Nepal’s electricity to Bangladesh to meet its growing energy requirements.
The leaders of both countries have stressed the importance and necessity of developing mutually beneficial economic partnership. President Mohammed Abdul Hamid of Bangladesh and President Bidya Devi Bhandari of Nepal have exchanged high level visits in recent years and have discussed a variety of issues of mutual concern and interest such as infrastructure building at border entry points, using ports in Bangladesh, trade promotion, tourism development and energy cooperation.
President Hamid was apprised of Visit Nepal Year (VNY) 2020 which was expected to attract 2 million tourists from different parts of the world, including Bangladesh.
Unfortunately, the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic since January 2020 has hit hard the economies of all countries, including the economies of both Nepal and Bangladesh.
Prof. Shahab Enam Khan who is a visiting fellow at Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) has tersely stated: ‘What Bangladesh needs is economic growth.’
This is also the priority of Nepal. Both countries should work together and pool their resources to achieve the cherished goal of economic growth in order to raise the living standards of the people.
Both need cooperation and assistance from friendly neighbors like China and India to ensure sustainable development, capacity building and growth of a skilled society through technology transfer.
Prof. Enam has rightly observed that the creation of trade triangle between Nepal and Bangladesh, China and India would go a long way in stabilizing the post-Covid-19 regional growth.
Nepal and Bangladesh have already signed a MoU with China on Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), although India has not yet welcomed and supported it.
India is, however, like Nepal and Bangladesh, a member of Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB).
Nepal and Bangladesh believe in maintaining best of relations with its immediate neighbors as well as other friendly countries like the US, UK, EU, Japan, Australia and South Korea.
Cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh in the education sector is a highly commendable feature of bilateral relations.
A large number of Nepali students have gone to Bangladesh to pursue higher studies in technical subjects like medicine, engineering and agriculture. During my ambassadorial tenure in Dhaka from 1987 to 1991, one of the functions of our embassy was to help these students, now numbering more than 4 thousand, get admitted to their respective universities without hassles and with full cooperation and goodwill from the government of Bangladesh.
It is in the interest of both Nepal and Bangladesh to ensure that the quality of education is maintained in accordance with internationally accepted standards so that both our countries benefit from their professional skills, competence and expertise.
It has been nearly 50 years since Bangladesh emerged as a sovereign independent country.
Despite the tragedy suffered by this country from the brutal assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, popularly known as the Bangbandhu (Father of the Nation),
Bangladesh has made, over the years, tremendous progress in accelerating the pace of socio-economic development, including reducing poverty and improving social sectors like health, education and employment.
Both Nepal and Bangladesh, as per a report recently adopted by the UN, look forward to graduating from LDC status, preferably by 2026.
As close neighbors, separated by a distance of 30 kms only, Nepal and Bangladesh can march ahead, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, on the road to peace, prosperity and stability through mutual cooperation and commitment to a common cause such as regional and global peace and stability.
Talking about Nepal-Bangladesh relations and the need for giving it a new thrust, it will be pertinent to share the views of some diplomats and scholars of Bangladesh.
Last year, in 2020, on October 1, a webinar was jointly organized by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI), Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) and Center for Diplomacy and Development (CDD) on ‘Bangladesh-Nepal Bilateral Cooperation in the Contemporary Regional Security Architecture.’
Farooq Shoban, former foreign secretary and a career diplomat of Bangladesh, referred to common aspirations of Nepal and Bangladesh and their commitment to regional (SAARC and BIMSTEC) and sub-regional (BBIN) cooperation.
Commenting on recent developments in Sino-Indian relations and its impact on the geo-politics of the region, he stressed the need for further strengthening and deepening cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh in all areas of mutual concern.
He expressed concern over the ongoing Sino-Indian rift over the boundary. South Asia was likely to face second Cold War because of growing Sino-American rivalry and differences.
While India tilted more towards the US, Pakistan-China alliance was more explicit.
To avoid the region becoming a battleground for foreign powers that might adversely impact common aspirations,
Dr. Shoban stressed the importance of regional cooperation for peace and stability.
He believed Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) led by the US was designed to contain China, while the latter’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aimed at enhancing Chinese influence globally.
China has financially assisted Pakistan to modernize its Gwadar port under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Both India and Pakistan being nuclear weapons states, other non-nuclear smaller countries of South Asia have expressed their support for the declaration of the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace.
These countries have shown maximum interest in the policy dialogue on non-traditional security, such as human security as well as food and water security.
Mr. Humayun Kabir, Chairman, Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) and former ambassador to Nepal, expressed concern over overt militarization of South Asia, putting diplomacy on the back burner.
He regretted that South Asia, from diplomatic point of view, was not making forward movement nor was the situation congenial for regional security architecture under SAARC.
It is, therefore, imperative for Nepal and Bangladesh to further explore areas of mutual cooperation. He welcomed the end of decade-long Maoist insurgency in Nepal and lauded the latter’s phenomenal role in managing transition.
Emphasizing the need for building up closer relationship based on an element of mutuality, Mr. Kabir stated that both Nepal and Bangladesh share some degree of nervousness about India as a big neighbor.
Hence the need for reinforcing bilateral relationship. On economic cooperation, Mr. Kabir described Bangladesh as a consumer of huge agricultural exports from Nepal.
As Bangladesh imports vegetables from India, the same could be imported from Nepal.
Agricultural goods from Nepal and industrial (manufactured) products from Bangladesh could complement each other.
The common aspiration of both Nepal and Bangladesh is to live in peace without global ambition. Economic cooperation is the central element in bilateral relations.
In this respect, Bangladesh had offered long ago Chittagong and Mongla ports as alternative to India’s Calcutta port.
However, Mr. Kabir did not minimize the importance and necessity of trilateral cooperation between Nepal, India and Bangladesh.
Mr. Kabir dwelt at some length on huge and better opportunities in Bangladesh for self-financing young Nepali students who were satisfied with the quality of education in various Bangladeshi institutions of higher learning.
Such students could serve in future as goodwill ambassadors between Nepal and Bangladesh.
Finally, he referred to the influx of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. While his country was trying to help them to go back in safety, he sought Nepal’s cooperation in the UN for repatriation of these refugees who were not terrorists as described by the Myanmar army.
The lady ambassador to Nepal from Bangladesh Mashfi Binte Shams who returned home last year after completing her diplomatic assignment, perhaps the longest, of seven years and a half, expressed the view that there was a lot of scope for meaningful bilateral cooperation.
Describing Nepal and Bangladesh as inheritors of ancient civilization and culture, she stated that both Nepal and Bangladesh valued political stability as being essential to progress and development.
She hoped that the constitution of 2015 would ensure some stability in Nepal which was going through political transition after the comprehensive peace accord was signed in 2006. Welcoming Nepal’s lentil export to Bangladesh, she described the road connectivity linking Nepal’s Kakarvitta to Banglabandh via Fulbari of India as a positive and landmark event.
She also touched on various areas of cooperation such as tourism, agriculture and the power sector.
She was confident that the high level visits such as the state visit of President Bidya Devi Bhandari of Nepal to Bangladesh and the four-day official visit reciprocated by President Mohammed Abdul Hamid of Bangladesh to Nepal in November 2019 had significantly contributed to further strengthening bilateral relations.
The fourth speaker ambassador designate of Bangladesh to Nepal Mr. Salahuddin Noman Chowdhary found Nepal and Bangladesh in a similar situation facing common challenges.
He, too, like the previous speakers held the view that there is tremendous scope for cooperation and development between Nepal and Bangladesh in such areas as promotion of trade, investment and tourism.
Enabling arrangements for removing non-tariff barriers would significantly facilitate trade promotion between the two countries.
He also emphasized the importance of cooperation in the energy sector as Bangladesh was willing to buy electricity from Nepal.
The next priority sector for him was cooperation in the education sector which would facilitate the pursuit of higher studies by Nepali students in Bangladesh.
Apart from tourism, another area of cooperation was investment in pharmaceuticals. Mr. Chowdhary assured the Nepali participants that he would spare no pains to strengthen and promote cooperation between the two countries during his tenure of office.
It may be noted that Mr. Chowdhary has already presented his credentials and assumed his duties as ambassador to Nepal.
Dr. Dinesh Bhattarai, former ambassador and former foreign policy adviser to late PM Sushil Koirala, representing Nepali participants described Nepal-Bangladesh relations as close and cordial based on goodwill, mutual trust and mutual understanding.
He pointed out that the periodic exchange of high level visits from both sides had considerably enriched and deepened bilateral relations.
No less important were people-to-people contacts at various levels such as arts, culture, the academia and the media. He was pleased to note that Nepal and Bangladesh have worked together and shared identical views on matters of regional and global concern in regional and multilateral forums.
Stable political situation prevailing in both countries was a matter of great satisfaction.
On the importance of trilateral process in the sub-region Dr. Bhattarai suggested that Nepal, Bangladesh and India could collaborate in such vital areas as water management and mitigation of floods.
He was of the view that connectivity of mind would lead to physical connectivity.
Dr. Bhattarai further opined that South Asia inhabited by 1.9 billion people is the fastest growing economy in the region.
South Asia due to its geo-strategic location is rich in natural resources and human capital.
There are huge possibilities of investment but barriers to investment need to be reduced.
He deplored the fact that SAARC, launched more than 3 decades ago with a great deal of euphoria and promise, has been completely sidelined.
Regional integration could no longer be postponed.
It was encouraging to note that PM Modi of India called for tangible cooperation to combat Covid-19 pandemic in the SAARC region at a webinar convened by him last year and attended by all SAARC member states.
Covid-19 has exposed vulnerability of the unvaccinated population, in particular the elderly population, in the region.
Dr. Bhattarai stated that human security is the key to progress in the region which is faced with formidable challenges like poverty eradication.
He also described cross-border terrorism as the culprit threatening regional peace, stability and security.
He supported Ambassador Farooq Shoban’s argument that South Asia is at the risk of second Cold War due to great power rivalry.
According to the veteran diplomat, politics has overtaken diplomacy.
The redeeming feature, however, is the democratization of South Asia.
Future appears to be on the side of South Asia in the emerging global order.
On the issue of Rohingya refugees, Nepal, as Dr. Bhattarai categorically stated, which had to cope with more than one hundred thousand Bhutanese refugees in the 90s, would support the repatriation of displaced people as refugees in full dignity and honor.
The organizers, winding up the webinar, concluded on a positive note describing the discussion and interaction as very frank, friendly and fruitful. Nepal-Bangladesh relations were multi-dimensional and as such, there were enormous possibilities of cooperation ranging from trade, tourism and investment to health, education and security cooperation.
Relations, however, cannot be taken for granted.
As international relations have witnessed paradigm shift in recent years, reshaping Nepal-Bangladesh relations in the changed context of rapidly evolving global order calls for foresight and vision among political leaders of both countries, diplomatic acumen, mature understanding of each other’s sensitivities and aspirations, and pragmatic response to challenges and opportunities.
End text.
Text courtesy: AFCAN Review Volume 2, 2021.
Thanks the distinguished author and the AFCAN authorities: Ed. Upadhyaya.