Ahead of her scheduled official visit to India June 21-22, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit India June 7-8 to attend her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony after he won a third term as prime minister. Earlier, Hasina congratulated Modi on the ruling NDA's win in the 18th Lok Sabha elections. Modi had earlier expressed gratitude to Hasina for her wishes about his reelection and tweeted, "I look forward to working together to further strengthen our people-centric partnership," citing the historical ties that have grown significantly over the last ten years.

Hasina's visit demonstrates not only how important it is for Bangladesh to plan its ties with India, but also how India views Bangladesh with which it has demonstrated excellent neighborhood diplomacy. This further demonstrates the commitment of both governments to strengthening their relationship. Given how Bangladesh stresses its positive connections with India and how the two leaders have a cordial and personal relationship, Hasina was among the first international leaders to congratulate Modi on his re-election. 

As the relationship between Bangladesh and India approaches its 53rd anniversary in December 2024, this year marks a significant turning point as both Bangladesh and India just held their national elections.  The conversations, meetings and engagements during Hasina’s trip may demonstrate how eager the Indian government and people are to increase cooperation and reciprocal growth, especially in areas of commerce, transshipment, transit, and tourism.  

On May 9, during this pivotal national elections, India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra travelled to Dhaka and invited Prime Minister Hasina to visit India on June 21-22. However, in addition to highlighting the strong relationship between the two countries, Hasina's receptivity to a Delhi visit for Modi's inauguration has revitalized the idea of an India-Bangladesh community shared by the idea of common development and understanding. Delhi and Dhaka's relationship has long been described as an unshakable, unwavering friendship that is based on respect, trust, and a dedication to people-centered collaboration. 

Nonetheless, with PM Modi and PM Hasina promising to keep cooperating to further strengthen the long-standing and close ties under the renewed mandate towards realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and Smart Bangladesh 2041, there are many opportunities for both India and Bangladesh to deepen the relationship.

To create a favorable environment for Bangladesh's national development, the new Indian government is expected to uphold the nation's stable foreign and domestic policies, continue to forge stronger ties with its neighbors, including Bangladesh, and acknowledge the significant improvements in both countries' people's lives over the past ten years. Additionally, both leaders have expressed their desire to further strengthen the transformative relationship in all areas, including energy security, connectivity, digital linkages, and economic and development partnerships. The issue of security in India's northeastern states has been resolved by Bangladesh. India believes that having a friendly nation on its east is crucial for it. 

The disagreements between Bangladesh and India may be settled in the coming days. Efforts to execute the Teesta deal and renew the Ganga pact, as well as to put an end to border killings, would continue if the two administrations worked closely. Several more agreements, like the exchange of enclaves, the land border agreement, road transit, and permission to utilize the seaports of Chittagong and Mongla, have been inked between the two nations. 

The partnership between India and Bangladesh may get a lot of attention since it demonstrates a dynamic and evolving collaboration that goes beyond basic infrastructural assistance. A healthy and stable relationship serves both countries' interests and promotes peace and prosperity both regionally and globally. Both administrations should continue to have cordial ties as long as they achieve their common interests.

(The author is a freelance writer and columnist, with a Master’s from the Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka. Views are personal. He can be contacted at ozairislam800@gmail.com )