India Bangladesh Relations

Contact Counsellor

Last Updated05/07/2024

Recently, during the visit of the Bangladesh Prime Minister to India, the two countries agreed to begin a dialogue on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to broaden economic ties.

CEPA Initiation: India and Bangladesh agreed to start work on a CEPA to enhance economic ties and foster trade and investment.
Logistics and Trade Flow: India will support the construction of an inland container port in Sirajganj, Bangladesh.
Ganga Water Treaty Renewal: Both countries will initiate technical-level talks to renew the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty, focusing on flood management, early warning systems, and drinking water projects.
Maritime Cooperation Pact: Reflecting shared interests in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific region, this pact was signed, and Bangladesh’s decision to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative was welcomed by India.

India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline: Inaugurated to strengthen energy cooperation.
Pre-1965 Rail Links Rehabilitation: Several pre-1965 rail links between India and Bangladesh have been rehabilitated and are now operational.
Akhaura-Agartala Rail Link: Connecting Bangladesh and northeast India through Tripura, the sixth India-Bangladesh cross-border rail link.
BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity: Connects major transport projects in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand, establishing a shipping network.
Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant: Operationalisation to enhance energy cooperation.
Khulna-Mongla Port Cargo Facility: Facilitates cargo movement for India’s northeastern states.
Cultural Exchanges: Promoted through centers like the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre.
ITEC Training and Scholarships: Bangladesh benefits from Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) training courses and scholarships for higher education in India.

The relationship was solidified during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, where India provided critical military and material support for Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan.
Relations deteriorated with the rise of military regimes and anti-India sentiments but stabilized in 1996 with a treaty on Ganga water sharing.

Bilateral trade has steadily grown over the past decade, with Bangladesh being India’s largest trade partner in South Asia and India being the second-largest trade partner of Bangladesh in Asia.
India is Bangladesh’s largest export destination in Asia, with around USD 2 billion of Bangladeshi exports to India in FY 2022-23.
Since 2010, India has extended Lines of Credit to Bangladesh worth over USD 7 billion.

Bangladesh imports nearly 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from India.
In 2018, Russia, Bangladesh, and India signed a memorandum on cooperation for the Rooppur Nuclear power plant project, Bangladesh’s first nuclear power reactor.