It has been reported that India said that its “development projects” with Bangladesh have been impacted by the “law and order situation” in the country.
Since Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, the Indian Government has not discussed these projects until now.
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised that “we also have to recognise that there are political changes, and they can be disruptive” in response to the events in Bangladesh.
Spokesman for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal claims that the turmoil in Bangladesh has ‘impacted bilateral projects’.
India’s biggest development partner is Bangladesh. India has given Bangladesh three Lines of Credit (LoCs) totaling over US $ 8 billion during the past fifteen years to support the development of infrastructure in a number of areas, including roads, railroads, ships, and ports.
Apart from Letters of Credit, the Indian Government has been offering grants to Bangladesh for a range of infrastructure projects, such as building the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, dredging Bangladesh’s inland waterways, and building the Akhaura-Agartala rail link.
Jaishankar stated that India would deal with “the government of the day” and that India and Bangladesh must find a common ground.
“Since Bangladesh’s independence, our relationship has gone up and down, and, naturally, we will deal with the government of the day. But we also have to recognise that there are political changes, and they can be disruptive. And clearly, here we have to look for mutuality of interest,” he said.
