India’s High Commissioner, Vikram Doraiswami has departed Dhaka. He had already met the Foreign Minister and the President for the last time and left on Sunday, September 18. Mr. Doraiswami will assume his next position as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK). During his three years’ tenure, Doraiswami contributed a lot to the existing bilateral relations. The next High Commissioner will also assume his role in the next few days and the expectations will also be high on him from both sides.
Doraiswami’s Tenure
Doraiswami was appointed in 2020 but he has shared ties with Bangladesh since 1971 when his father- an air force officer, fought in Bangladesh’s liberation war. Immediately after being appointed, he started to contribute to the existing bilateral relations and played a crucial role in brokering a deal with the Serum Institute.
During his tenure, several high-level visits also took place between the countries. Indian PM Modi visited Bangladesh on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Independence in 2021. Later, President Ramnath Kovind also visited Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s foreign minister also visited India during Doraiswami’s tenure. Lastly, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina visited Delhi from September 5-8. These high-level visits helped these two countries maintain stable bilateral relations.
Perhaps the biggest contribution of his tenure is the Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting that was held in August. The JRC meetings were not taking place for the last 12 years but in the last month of his tenure, Doraiswami was instrumental in meeting and both countries sat after 12 years to discuss existing river issues.
Indeed, Doraiswami could live up to the expectations for both Dhaka and Delhi. There was hardly any discontentment among the countries in the meantime. The High Commissioner did a good job and built very impressive rapports with Bangladesh.
The next Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh will be Pranav Sharma, who will join very soon. Bangladesh will also expect a lot from Mr. Sharma.
Expectations from the New High Commissioner
Both Bangladesh and India will expect a proactive role from Mr. Sharma. He is expected to maintain the stability that his predecessors contributed to and to understand Bangladesh from its own perspective.
However, the scope for strengthening existing bilateral relations is vast for the new High Commissioner also. As the JRC meeting started after 12 years’ interval, Mr. Sharma should make an effort to ensure its continuation. Bangladesh and India have more than 50 joint rivers. Hydro Diplomacy is a very important aspect between the countries due to their dependence and cultural influence regarding rivers. A great deal of river water-sharing is awaited and hopefully, continuation of the JRC meeting may bring agreements that yield mutual interests for both countries.
Connectivity is another important aspect of the existing bilateral relations. For past decade, connectivity has flourished between the neighbors and many projects were inaugurated. India is currently enjoying transit and port service in Bangladesh, alongside deepening bilateral connectivity. Bangladesh is also seeking transit for trans-shipment deals with Nepal and Bhutan. For the last few years, connectivity has emerged as a dominating discourse in bilateral relations.
Apart from these, the new High Commissioner is expected to increase people-to-people connection, contribute to South Asia’s communal harmony, uphold international diplomatic norms and find new avenues to increase trade and finance among the countries. There will be extensive work regarding the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) also.
The Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh is one of the most important diplomatic posts for the country. As a result, the appointment and departure attracts more media attention than usual. Bangladesh also waits keenly to observe who is taking up the role and expects a lot. For India, Bangladesh is one of its important diplomatic missions. Therefore, it tries to send experienced and seasoned diplomats to Bangladesh. Doraiswami’s successful tenure further increases the expectation in both countries. Therefore, expectations are high for Mr. Pranav Sharma, who surely has the capabilities to fulfill them.
*The writer is a retired government official in Bangladesh.
September 25. 2022
The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of Aequitas Review.
