Bangladesh Awami League's manifesto emphasises on deepening ties with India

Ahead of the January 7elections, Bangladesh's ruling party, the Awami League, has released a comprehensive 108-page election manifesto which reinforces the party's commitment to strengthen ties with India and expand cooperation on various fronts. The manifesto, unveiled by the Sheikh Hasina government, outlines the continuation of policies to "cooperate with India" in areas such as cross-border connectivity, transit, energy partnerships, and equitable water sharing.

The manifesto explicitly states, "the Government will continue bilateral trade and security cooperation with India," reflecting the positive engagement between Bangladesh and India in recent years. Joint projects, including an oil pipeline and India's use of Bangladesh ports, underscore the collaborative efforts between the two nations.

Notably, the document goes beyond regional partnerships, expressing a commitment to open new avenues of cooperation with India, Bhutan, and Nepal for hydropower generation and joint management of common river basins. Key foreign policy achievements, such as "resolving long-standing issues with India through demarcation of land boundaries and exchanging enclaves", are highlighted as cornerstones of the government's successful tenure. It said this has helped in encouraging "continued multilateral cooperation and friendly relations with India". The manifesto recognises the settlement of maritime boundaries with Myanmar and India as significant accomplishments, unlocking immense potential for the blue economy.

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In a global context, the Awami League aims to build a "strong friendship" with Russia to expand the energy sector. Regarding ties with China, the manifesto declares Dhaka's willingness to "strengthen relations... in terms of development financing." The party envisions strengthening relations with ASEAN countries and developing better and closer ties with Australia and Pacific nations.

It reaffirms a commitment to "strengthen and diversify development cooperation" withthe United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, and Canada. The document reiterates the government's "determination" to prevent the presence of militant, international terrorists, and separatist groups within its territory.

Among the manifesto's listed achievements, the ruling party proudly highlights Bangladesh's active participation in ten global peacekeeping missions, deploying over 7000 peacekeepers. The manifesto positions this as a "manifestation of Bangladesh's significant contribution to international peace and security." The document also underscores the publication of the Indo-Pacific framework in April 2023, aimed at "promoting open, peaceful, secure, inclusive, equitable prosperity for all".